October 9, 2018 - 11:35 AMT
Armenia can’t overcome crisis without elections, MP tells PACE

Lawmaker Edmon Marukyan from Yelk bloc has told a PACE session that snap parliamentary elections in Armenia are aimed at overcoming the political crisis in the country.

Marukyan said elections spearheaded by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seek to reaffirm the ideals and values of the revolution once and for all.

According to him, Armenia can’t move beyond the current political crisis without the vote.

The Council of Europe can’t take an observer status in the current situation, the lawmaker said, but should spare no effort to support democratic processes in Armenia.

Marukyan called on PACE to provide consistent support to new Armenian authorities in fighting corruption, implementing systemic reforms and organizing snap parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan has proposed holding snap elections by December 2018, the former ruling Republican Party, however, opposes the idea and suggests pushing the date back to May 2019.