YEREVAN (Combined Sources) — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his resignation late on Tuesday, October 16, paving the way for the holding of snap parliamentary elections in Armenia in December.
In a televised address to the nation, Pashinyan said the elections are necessary for completing the democratic Velvet Revolution that brought him to power in May. He seemed confident that the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and other parliamentary forces would not try to prevent them by electing another prime minister.
President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has accepted the resignation of the Cabinet of the Republic of Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office.
Pashinyan’s party controls only a few seats in the current Armenian parliament. Early general elections are therefore vital for his political future. Observers believe that the popular premier and his allies will win them by a landslide.
Under the Armenian constitution, the National Assembly can be dissolved if it fails to elect another head of government within two weeks after Pashinyan’s resignation.
The HHK, which holds 50 seats in the 105-member legislature, said on October 9 that it “does not have an intention to nominate a candidate” for the post of prime minister. The party’s deputy chairman, Armen Ashotyan, reaffirmed that pledge earlier on Tuesday.