Ruling party won’t reject Pashinyan's nomination to prime minister's post

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) will not nominate its candidate for prime minister and will support the candidacy of the protest leader Nikol Pashinyan.

"Let one third of the deputies nominate a single candidate, and we will support him," the head of the RPA faction Vahram Baghdasaryan told reporters in parliament today, adding that the republic will have a lawfully elected prime minister on May 8.

"Understanding the importance of development for the country and considering it an imperative, the party declares that in the republic on May 8 will be the legally elected prime minister. The Republican Party of Armenia will not nominate its candidate," Baghdasaryan said.

One third of the MPs (at least 35 votes in the 105-seat parliament) may be recruited by the Tsarukyan bloc and any of the two factions - Dashnaktsutyun and Yelk (Way Out Alliance), who previously supported Pashinyan's candidacy as a new head of government.

The head of the RPA faction urged the demonstrators not to block the roads in Yerevan and the regions of the republic, including those leading to the airport, as well as the railway and the metro, and return to the constitutional framework.

As EADaily reported earlier, on May 1, the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia voted on the only nominee for the post of the Prime Minister of the republic - the leader of the "Velvet Revolution", the chairman of the Civil Contract party, MP Nikol Pashinyan. With 45 votes in favor and 56 against, Pashinyan's candidacy was rejected by a majority vote. The faction of the Republican Party of Armenia voted against the appointment of the leader of the "Velvet Revolution" almost fully.

According to the Constitution of Armenia, in next seven days a new voting on the candidature of the head of government should be held. If prime minister is not re-elected by a majority of the total number of deputies, the parliament will be dissolved and early elections will be held not earlier than thirty and no later than forty-five days after the dissolution of the National Assembly.