Armenia: President calls for more consultations to help solve the crisis

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian president Armen Sarkissian issued a statement Wednesday, May 2 after the parliament failed to elect a new prime minister a day earlier.

“I deeply regret that the political crisis continues, although everyone keeps declaring about the dangers it poses for the country’s future,” Sarkissian said.

“I urge the continuation of consultations throughout the week to find a way out of the crisis which will be in the interest of the entire nation.”

The campaign against the Armenian authorities is in full swing across Yerevan and the rest of the republic on Wednesday after the parliament failed to elect opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as the country's new prime minister.

All the streets, as well as the metro, the road to the airport and the country’s railroad are currently blocked by groups of demonstrators.

Pashinyan, who has been leading the protests for several weeks now, needed more than half of all the votes - the support of 53 lawmakers - to secure the prime minister’s spot, but got only 45.

A second vote will be held a week later, and the candidate needs to collect at least one third of the votes to win.

The founder and head of Civil Contract party and lawmaker from the Yelk bloc, 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.