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