YEREVAN. – “We are ready for any scenario,” on Wednesday stated Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia opposition movement leader, Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head.

When asked if he is not elected Prime Minister again on May 8, will he run in a snap parliamentary election to be held under the current rule of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Pashinyan responded as follows: “It will depend on the atmosphere because if the process is proceeding in these dimensions, we are having a change in the situation every day. Soon the situation will change every hour.”

In Pashinyan’s words, their tactic is to increase the pressure on the incumbent authorities until a change of power.

But he stated that there can be no clashes, since the situation is completely under their control.

“Even if there will be provocateurs, we will not respond to violence by violence,” Nikol Pashinyan added, in particular.

And when asked whether there will be more RPA MPs—in addition to Feliks Tsolakyan—who might join the movement, Pashinyan responded: “I don’t like behind-the-scenes processes.”

The National Assembly on Tuesday did not endorse—with a vote of 45 for and 56 against—Nikol Pashinyan’s candidacy as Prime Minister. The parliamentary majority faction of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia voted against Pashinyan, who was the only candidate. A second—and final—round of election is slated for May 8.   

At the subsequent rally on Tuesday evening, Pashinyan called on his supporters to on Wednesday resume their peaceful and nonviolent campaign of civil disobedience—such as boycotting of school classes, staging of labor strikes, and blocking of streets and the Yerevan subway.