YEREVAN. – If our actions are unlawful, why did Serzh Sargsyan accept our demand and resign?

Nikol Pashinyan, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member and National Assembly of Armenia “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head, asked this question at a press conference on Friday.

“When [ex-President, ex-PM and ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) leader] Serzh Sargsyan was in power, we were trying to explain to him that we [now] have a completely different Armenia than before that,” he said. “[Acting PM and RPA Vice Chairman] Karen Karapetyan also should realize this.”

When asked what they will do if the RPA manages to have its candidate elected the next PM at parliament and then decides to hold a snap parliamentary election, Pashinyan responded as follows, in particular: “In all likelihood, we will boycott new elections. At that time there will be more specific addresses to block 2,000 polling stations.

“If the RPA doesn’t wish to resolve the [current political] crisis [in Armenia], then it will grow deeper.

“If anyone doubts that we will take a step back in any case, he is simply mistaken, since such a thing will not happen. Moreover, we will not allow for anyone to take away the people’s victory.”

After 11-day nationwide protest actions by the Nikol Pashinyan-led movement, ex-President and RPA leader Serzh Sargsyan on Monday resigned from his recently-elected post of Prime Minister.

Subsequently, Pashinyan announced that they will continue negotiations with the incumbent authorities on Wednesday, and toward achieving a smooth transfer of power in Armenia. But it became clear on Tuesday evening that this talk would not take place.  

Acting PM and RPA Vice Chairman Karen Karapetyan stated that Pashinyan had posited new, unilateral demands.

Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, announced that they are resuming their protests as of Wednesday, since the RPA wants to retain power at the expense of Sargsyan’s resignation.

And on Thursday, Pashinyan invited Karapetyan to start the second round of negotiations on Friday, and before the media.

But Aram Araratyan, the spokesperson of Karen Karapetyan, on Friday issued a statement, according to which the acting PM considers “negotiations” with Nikol Pashinyan viewless, and therefore he refused to take part.