Armenia's RPA won't vote for opposition leader as prime minister

PanARMENIAN.Net - The ruling Republican Party of Armenia will not vote for Nikol Pashinyan, who is the only candidate for the prime minister's post, head of RPA's parliamentary faction Vahram Baghdasaryan told lawmakers on Tuesday, May 1.

Tsarukyan bloc and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, meanwhile, said they will vote for Pashinyan's candidacy.

The National Assembly is set to elect a new prime minister on Tuesday after the former was ousted amid massive protests across Armenia just one week after taking up the post.

An opposition leader and the founder and head of Civil Contract party, Pashinyan leads a street campaign against the ruling authorities, which has seen thousands of Armenians taking to the streets in massive protests.

Former prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was forced to resign on April 23, and Pashinyan is now seeking the appointment as prime minister by the National Assembly of what he calls “the people’s candidate”, - i.e. himself - the formation of an interim government and snap parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan has promised to rid Armenia of corruption and poverty. He called on his supporters to rally on Tuesday as parliament meets for the vote and then gather at Republic Square in downtown Yerevan to celebrate "celebrate their victory, their irreversible victory."