Armenian parliament fails to elect new PM

Armenia’s parliament failed to elect a brand new high minister after a special session, held following nearly two weeks of protests against the executive.

The appropriate candidate for the post of period in-between high minister modified into Nikol Pashinyan, 42, the opposition chief who called for the mass demonstrations.

Pashinyan, who led the protests that compelled Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan to resign final week, acknowledged the Republican Occasion’s decision on Tuesday now to no longer support his candidacy modified into an « insult to the folk ».

Syuzanna Petrosyan, from the USC Institute of Armenian Research, informed Al Jazeera that the structure affords a seven-day interval to vote over again on a brand new chief; in some other case, parliament would be dissolved, and new elections wants to be held. 

Political ‘tsunami’

Pashinyan had secured the make stronger of all opposition factions within the parliament however critical votes from contributors of the ruling coalition to construct a majority vote.

« Mr Pashinyan, that that you simply would be capable of be an accurate parliament member, however now no longer licensed for high minister, » Arman Saghatelyan, a member of the Republican Occasion of Armenia, acknowledged in his speech to the parliament. 

Forward of the session, Pashinyan entreated supporters to remove to the streets on Tuesday to stress parliament to grasp him as high minister and warned of a political « tsunami » if the ruling elite clung to energy.

About 20,000 folk gathered at the sq. within the capital, Yerevan, to follow the parliamentary session. 

Sargsyan turned into high minister on April 17 after a decade as president, in what modified into considered by opponents as a energy consume.

To protect away from stoking more tensions, the Republican Occasion launched earlier this week that it wouldn’t nominate a candidate for high minister.

After his speech within the parliament, Pashinyan fielded questions by MPs for bigger than three hours about his positions on healthcare, international policy, migration, and the financial system.