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48 I Eurasia bne November 2018
Pashinian’s people power clears the way for early elections in Armenia
bne IntelliNews
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced in the early hours of October 3 that rival parties have agreed not to field prime ministerial candidates after he resigns, paving the way for a snap general election.
The Republican Party, ARF Dashnaktsu- tyun and Tsarukyan parliamentary factions appear to have backed down after passing controversial legislation on October 2 that would have made it more difficult for Pashinian to carry out his earlier pledge to call early elections.
The legislation was rushed through parliament on the evening of October 2, hours after Pashinian told journal- ists parliamentary elections would take place in December.
The prime minister, a former protest leader who took power following weeks of mass demonstrations in April and May that toppled the former Republican Party government, called on his support- ers to take to the streets again as MPs prepared to vote on the changes.
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Thousands responded to his call and gathered outside the parliament while the vote was taking place, preventing MPs from leaving the assembly.
Pashinian didn’t attend the parliamenta- ry session, instead delivering an address to the crowd in which he warned of a counter-revolution.
“The adoption of the bill is a plot against the highest power – the people of the Republic of Armenia,” the prime minister said, according to Public Radio of Armenia.
After addressing the crowd, Pashinian entered the parliament for talks with rival parliamentary factions, which resulted in an agreement that no other
candidates would be put forward when he submitted his resignation. He indi- cated afterwards that the deal had been agreed when it became clear that pro- tests would again erupt if parliament blocked the planned early elections.
“I have to resign in coming days, but I expect that the Republican Party and the parliament would not make people nervous, as they have to realise that if
I resign and they propose a candidate, and they can do it theoretically, this would provoke a reaction of the people,” he said, News.am reported.
Pashinian resigned after he hosted the Francophonie Summit on October 7-12, according to local media reports.
“The adoption of the bill is a plot against the highest power – the people of the Republic of Armenia”