YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), says the HHK will be an opposition, the steps of which will be aimed at strengthening Armenia.

“The political force, which considers itself to be the bearer of state ideology, shouldn’t be guided by covering itself with a blanket. Sometimes you must make concessions, by understanding that it is the real path at this moment. I myself voted against, and generally we haven’t changed our opinion about Pashinyan’s political leadership, Prime Ministership, but there are realities, we can’t not reckon with realities,” Sharmazanov told reporters after today’s vote.

Asked if the HHK will maintain majority in the parliament, Sharmazanov responded: “Anyone doubts?”

Asked how the HHK will vote regarding Pashinyan’s government program, Sharmazanov emphasized that HHK is doing everything with principle, it isn’t guided under anyone’s pressure, neither by guessing. “Therefore I can’t say how we will vote for the government’s program. When the government’s program will be presented, that’s when we will say,” he said.

Armenian lawmakers elected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as Prime Minister of Armenia on May 8.

59 MPs voted in favor, 42 voted against.

The extraordinary sitting of the Armenian parliament kicked off 12:00 with 100 MPs in attendance for the second round of vote to elect a Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader who spearheaded the recent nationwide demonstrations, was the only candidate for the position, just like during the first round on May 1.

Two other factions in addition to Pashinyan’s Yelk have endorsed the opposition leader’s candidacy – the ARF and the Tsarukyan.

Pashinyan needed at least 53 votes in the 105-seat unicameral parliament to be named Prime Minister.

As required by the Constitution, a new government must be formed within 15 days after electing a Prime Minister.

An elected Prime Minister must nominate deputy Prime Ministers and ministers of his Cabinet to the President within five days after taking office. After the formation of the government, the Prime Minister must present his Cabinet’s action plan for parliamentary debates within 20 days. Lawmakers have seven days for debating the action plan.

In the event of the parliament’s rejection of the action plan, the elected PM resigns and new elections of PM take place. If a new Prime Minister is elected in the second elections and again the action plan isn’t approved, the parliament is dissolved and snap elections take place.

Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, the third President of Armenia who took office as PM April 17, resigned amid mass protests on April 23.

Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, head of the Yelk (Exit) faction, was the sole candidate in the first round of elections on May 1. Pashinyan, the MP who spearheaded massive demonstrations throughout the country for about two weeks, failed to be elected by a 56-45 vote in the first round of voting.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia – known as the National Assembly.  The ARF faction – (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan faction has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats. 

The ruling party said it will not nominate their own candidate for the second round, just like in the first round. However, the HHK said it will not block the election and will support it.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan