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May 4, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 3
The Yelk (“Way Out”) Alliance, a liberal political opposition bloc which includes Pashinian’s own Civil Contract party, will once again nominate Pashinian for the post. In the May 1 vote, he was the only candidate. The HHK, which is accused by the protest movement of tolerating entirely unacceptable levels of cronyism and corruption during Sargsyan’s decade as president, has not suggested a candidate of its own. Pashinian has said that he will rid the country of corruption, poverty and nepotism and has promised snap elections.
"Yes, definitely," Civil Contract party spokesman Tigran Avinyan told TASS on May 2 in response to the question of whether Pashinian would be nominated again.
At the same time, Avinyan answered in the negative when asked if the opposition leader would change his program, taking into account statements HHK members made during the parliamentary debate.
In that debate, Eduard Sharmazanov, deputy speaker of parliament and Republican spokes- man, said: "Mr Pashinian, I don't see you at the post of prime minister, I don't see you at the post of commander-in-chief." The latter post is a sensitive issue in Armenia which since the 1990s has been in a standoff with Azerbaijan over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. A war over the en- clave took place from the late 1980s to May 1994.
Russia, meanwhile, continues to closely watch developments in ex-Soviet Armenia. The country, located between big energy exporter Azerbaijan and Nato member Turkey, is strategically valuable to Moscow. VOA reported on May 1 that Pashinian
met with Russian lawmakers on April 29, telling them his premiership would not threaten Yerevan's close ties with Moscow.
Pashinian has the option of attempting to bypass parliament completely and turning to the crowds on Republic Square for his legitimacy, but it appears that at the moment he intends to exhaust the constitutional route and go through a second round of voting vote on appointing a new PM.
“People are the legitimate force”
"I believe it is the people of Armenia who are eligible to make demands. We will listen to the people’s demands as they are a legitimate force that can make demands, while the Republican Party is not," spokesman Avinyan added.
Pashinian, meanwhile, told the BBC on May 2 that protesters were fighting for their own rights and dignity. He reportedly said: "I want to be clear, it isn't a fight for Nikol Pashinian becoming prime minister, it's a fight for human rights, for democracy, for rule of law and that is why our people aren't tired and won't be tired."
United Nations data shows more than 11% of Armenians live below the poverty line, earning less than 1,530 Armenian drams ($3.20) per day. Bloomberg estimates emigre remittances from Armenia's 8mn-strong diaspora contribute
14% of national GDP. Unemployment stands at around 16%.
Under Sargsyan, Armenia made a very weak recovery from a GDP decline of 14% in 2009, but then saw a 7.5% surge in economic growth last year. But by the end of 2017, deflation and extremely weak domestic demand set in.