Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

New Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets President Armen Sarkissian

By

Nikol Pashinyan meets President Armen Sarkissian

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Nikol Pashinyan had his first meeting as Prime Minister with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on May 8 in the President’s Office.

“I would like to wish you that you form the government as soon as possible and engage in the solution of all the issues which face our state, government, entire people and this country – the Republic of Armenia. My best wishes to you and good luck,” President Sarkissian said, congratulating PM Pashinyan at the meeting, the President’s Office said.

Armenian lawmakers elected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as Prime Minister of Armenia on May 8.

59 MPs voted in favor, 42 voted against.

The extraordinary sitting of the Armenian parliament kicked off 12:00 for the second round of vote to elect a Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader who spearheaded the recent nationwide demonstrations, was the only candidate for the position, just like during the first round on May 1.

Two other factions in addition to Pashinyan’s Yelk have endorsed the opposition leader’s candidacy – the ARF and the Tsarukyan.

Pashinyan needed at least 53 votes in the 105-seat unicameral parliament to be named Prime Minister.

As required by the Constitution, a new government must be formed within 15 days after electing a Prime Minister.

An elected Prime Minister must nominate deputy Prime Ministers and ministers of his Cabinet to the President within five days after taking office. After the formation of the government, the Prime Minister must present his Cabinet’s action plan for parliamentary debates within 20 days. Lawmakers have seven days for debating the action plan.

In the event of the parliament’s rejection of the action plan, the elected PM resigns and new elections of PM take place. If a new Prime Minister is elected in the second elections and again the action plan isn’t approved, the parliament is dissolved and snap elections take place.

Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, the third President of Armenia who took office as PM April 17, resigned amid mass protests on April 23.

Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, head of the Yelk (Exit) faction, was the sole candidate in the first round of elections on May 1. Pashinyan, the MP who spearheaded massive demonstrations throughout the country for about two weeks, failed to be elected by a 56-45 vote in the first round of voting.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia – known as the National Assembly.  The ARF faction – (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan faction has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats.

The ruling party said it will not nominate their own candidate for the second round, just like in the first round. However, the HHK said it will not block the election and will support it.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator – Stepan Kocharyan

Russia’s Putin congratulates Nikol Pashinyan on taking office as Armenia’s PM

By

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Nikol Pashinyan on assuming office as Armenia’s Prime Minister, the Kremlin press service said, TASS reports.

“I hope that your performance as the head of government will contribute to efforts to further strengthen friendly, allied relations between our countries, partnership within the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization,” Putin said in his congratulatory letter.

Armenian lawmakers elected Nikol Pashinyan as Prime Minister of Armenia on May 8.

59 MPs voted in favor, 42 voted against.

The extraordinary sitting of the Armenian parliament kicked off 12:00 with 100 MPs in attendance for the second round of vote to elect a Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader who spearheaded the recent nationwide demonstrations, was the only candidate for the position, just like during the first round on May 1.

Two other factions in addition to Pashinyan’s Yelk have endorsed the opposition leader’s candidacy – the ARF and the Tsarukyan.

Pashinyan needed at least 53 votes in the 105-seat unicameral parliament to be named Prime Minister.

As required by the Constitution, a new government must be formed within 15 days after electing a Prime Minister.

Serj Tankian promises Nikol Pashinyan to think about living in Armenia permanently

By

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS. Soloist of System of a Down group, world famous Serj Tankian participated in the public meeting at the Republican Square of Armenia on May 7.

“I am very excited by your reception. You create a motherland that deserves the pride of the Armenian nation. The entire world is watching us as a positive example”, Serj Tankian underlined. According to him, for years the Armenian people were known for the Genocide and earthquake, while this movement raises the reputation of the Armenian people. “The power of love overcomes all other powers. Bowing in front of you, I have come to support you to create the Motherland of our dreams. Now we start the period of patience. We must continue with reforms and investments”, ARMENPRESS reports the singer as saying.

In his speech Nikol Pashinyan announced that the deadline for nominating candidates for Prime Minister is over. “Only your candidate has been nominated. I have received official assurances that the ARF, “Yelk” bloc and “Tsarukyan” bloc factions and a number of MPs representing the RPA will vote in favor. This means we have 95% chance that tomorrow your candidate will be elected Prime Minister. The happiness, joy and power of the Armenian people must never be trim down”, Pashinyan said.

He also informed that on the way to the Republican Square from the airport he was persuading Serj Tankian to establish permanent residence in Armenia, and Tankian promised to think about that.

The incredible unstoppable man Nikol Pashinyan, From the March to mass Protests to Revolution

By

Photo by Wally Sarkeesian

By Wally Sarkeesian

The incredible man Nikol Pashinyan for last 30 day he walked and talked almost 120 KM from Gyumri to Capital Yerevan hold none stop rallies. He forced unpopular Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan to resign. He wants to reform the country free people from corrupt government, Nikol Pashinyan is a man who until recently was hardly known to anyone outside Armenia. He sees Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation this week as an important first step toward reforming the country, and now he wants parliament to make him Armenia’s new leader in early May.

Pashinian has repeatedly stated during rallies it is what the people want, and until then, the protests will continue.

Back in March, Pashinian, who serves as leader of liberal opposition coalition Jelk (Way Out), which won just 7.7 percent of the vote in last year’s parliamentary elections, embarked on a long journey. Together with a handful of supporters,

Pashinyan’s long fight, He began his career as a journalist in the 1990s before transitioning into politics. He ran for parliament in 2007, but his party failed to win any seats.

He was at the right place and the right time, and got the ball rolling,

Unlike in Ukraine, the Armenian protests are organic not viewed as being connected to country’s relationship with Russia or the European Union. Armenia remains a close ally of Moscow and relies on it for protection,

But more deep-seated animosity toward the 63-year-old over his handling of the economy and corruption has been building for a decade, with almost one-third of the country’s 3 million people living below the official poverty level, according to the Asian Development Bank.

Its economy is hugely dependent on remissions from its far-flung diaspora in Russia, Western Europe, and the United States, as well as trade with Russia, more broadly.

Iran is also an important trading partner.

“Sarkisian wasn’t running Armenia like a country, he was running it like his own personal fiefdom,” Varazdat Mkrtchian, the 51-year-old commander of the Eagle 30 Battalion that fought in the four-day war in April 2016 in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, told RFE/RL in Yerevan.

“His people were doing fine, while the rest of us were being stretched more and more each year,” he added.

 

Nikol Pashinyan: Leader “My Step” We should prepare for victory

By

YEREVAN.- The opposition movement, led by MP Nikol Pashinyan, resumes protest actions in Yerevan with renewed vigor, the leader of “My Step” initiative Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

“Despite the fact that the political situation does not stand still and, taking into account the well-known events, certain progress is recorded, I urge everyone to resume protest actions exactly at 12:00 , and to open all roads by 16:00 so that citizens can reach the Republic Square , where a very important rally will be held at 19:00,” Pashinyan said.

“We must show that this movement is full of determination and will fight to the bitter end. I think we should prepare for victory,” he said.

 

ARF to support PM candidate Nikol Pashinyan

By

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) is ready to support the head of Yelk bloc’s faction, MP Nikol Pashinyan for the post of a Prime Minister, representative of the Supreme Body of ARF Armenia Arsen Hambardzumyan told Armenian News- NEWS.am.

Asked whether the ARF is ready to vote for opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, Hambardzumyan said: “It should be clear that the statement we made yesterday indicates this clearly.”

According to him, the Republican Party of Armenia made a wise decision not to nominate a candidate for a Prime Minister.

“This decision is consonant with our approach as the nomination of different candidates on May 1 elections will not lead to a political decision. Discussions with political forces represented in the National Assembly can lead to reaching common ground before April 30, since it is important not only to choose a candidate for prime ministers together, but also to find the right decision,” Hambardzumyan noted.

Asked whether ARF representatives met with other parliamentarian factions, Arsen Hambardzumyan said: “Some meetings were held, but there were no agreements or substantive discussion in this regard.”

As reported earlier, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) will not nominate a candidate for a Prime Minister, while the Yelk faction intends to nominate Nikol Pashinyan candidacy.

 

BREAKING: Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan meets head of ruling party faction

By

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the parliamentary Yelk faction, is holding a meeting with Vahram Baghdasaryan, leader of the Republican Party (HHK) faction of the Armenian parliament.

ARMENPRESS correspondent reports from the parliament that Pashinyan refused to mention the purpose of the visit before entering the office of the HHK faction leader.

Before this meeting, Pashinyan and the Yelk faction had a meeting with the delegation of Russia’s State Duma.

Details will be presented soon.

On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. 

On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned.

First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting.

Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan – leader of the opposition – on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament.

On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties.

Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party – the Republican Party of Armenia – HHK – said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament – urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans.

An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the party’s president.

The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1.

“In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliament’s rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law,” Speaker Ara Babloyan said.

According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament.

The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan.

On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election.

The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed “the people’s candidate”.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan

Breaking: Gagrule.net Project Nikol Pashinyan will become the next Prime Minister of Armenia

By

People greet the leader Nikol Pashinyan as he arrives at a rally in his own town of Ijevan

by Wally Sarkeesian

Base on the following event that both the two major parties will not introduce any candidate for PM position.

The Leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukyan has confirmed that his party will not table a candidate for the office of prime minister, but will support the people’s candidate. “My team and I will vote for a people’s candidate, whether it’s Nikol Pashinyan or anyone else nominated by the people,” party leader Gagik Tsarukyan told Kentron TV.

Also Armenia’s ruling party will not put up a candidate for prime minister, it said on Saturday, in a bid to ease tensions after more than two weeks of street protests against the ruling elite. “By not putting forward a candidate, we will avoid confrontation and an increase in security risks,” party spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov told reporters.

Protest leader Nikol Pashinyan, a member of parliament who describes himself as “the people’s choice”, has said parliament should elect him prime minister next week. He then wants snap parliamentary polls under a new election law.

A junior coalition member, the Dashnaktsutyun Party, said this week it was quitting the government and favored an early election, but it was unclear whether it would vote for Pashinyan who has a history of political activism and opposition.

Armenian Nikol Pashinyan opposition leader rules out ‘any compromise’ with Republican

By

Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan on Friday insisted on his plan to continue the “velvet resolution”, saying that he also wants to be  Armenia’s “interim premier” in the current transitional period following Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation. 


At a news conference bringing together representatives of Armenian and international media, the leader of the civic group My Move! said he is determined to fight the ruling Republican Party’s “continuing hold on power”.

“A Republican candidate’s nomination for the prime minister’s post does not promise us any solution,” he said.

The opposition lawmaker of Yelk (Way Out parliamentary faction) said they are calling upon the citizens of Armenia to take to the streets on Monday to join their protest against the prime ministerial election.  The National Assembly is holding a special session on Monday noon to elect a new chief of cabinet after two weeks of anti-government protests that caused the former prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan, to step down.

 

Nikol Pashinyan to hold rallies in Gyumri and Vanadzor April 27

By

YEREVAN.- “My Step” initiative will not hold large-scale protests in Yerevan tomorrow, April 27, opposition leader, MP Nikol Pashinyan stated during the rally at Republic Square.

He repeated that he ” is inviting Karen Karapetyan to Marriott Hotel at 12 tomorrow to start the second phase of negotiations.”

He also said that tomorrow a rally will be held not in Yerevan, but in Gyumri. He noted that all the actions in Yerevan will be suspended for a while, thus the activists can have a rest, but if they want, they can join him and go to Gyumri where the rally will begin at 18:00.

A rally will also be held in Vanadzor at 15:00, on April 28 and in Yerevan on April 29, 30 and May 1.