Armenia: Opposition leader talks crisis with ARF Dashnaktsutyun

PanARMENIAN.Net - Leader of the civil campaign against Armenian authorities Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday, April 26 met the representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun.

According to a Facebook post by Pashinyan himself, he and Arsen Hambardzumyan and Armen Rustamyan discussed the “internal political situation in Armenia and the possible ways out.”

The ARF pulled out of the ruling coalition with the Republicans on Wednesday, while acting ministers and governors of province representing the party resigned the following day.

Pashinyan had earlier met Gagik Tsarukyan, the head of opposition Tsarukyan bloc which has been supporting the movement for several days now.

An opposition leader from Yelk bloc and the founder and head of Civil Contract party, Pashinyan leads the campaign against the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

Former prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was forced to resign on Monday, and Pashinyan is now seeking the appointment as prime minister by the National Assembly of what he calls “the people’s candidate,” the formation of a temporary government and snap parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan and acting prime minister from the ruling party Karen Karapetyan were scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 25 but the meeting was canceled. Pashinyan urged demonstrators to resume the rally, with the protesters paralyzing traffic on several major avenues and streets in Yerevan and gathering at the Republic Square again.

On Thursday, the protests will move to Gyumri, Armenia’s second biggest town in the country’s north.

Later on Wednesday, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia declared it is ready to discuss any issue with all the parties.

Pashinyan on Thursday invited Karapetyan to negotiations before the media, no response has been received though.