YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: The ruling elite, led by [PM] Nikol Pashinyan, will soon try to find out its actual [popularity] rating through provincial visits.

According to some information, Nikol Pashinyan has concerns that he will not be able to reproduce himself in the snap [parliamentary] elections, even by using administrative resources. He wants to decide from the visits whether to go for the elections or to call off the June 20 snap [elections] under some pretext. The demand of some MPs of My Step [majority faction in parliament] and Soros NGOs in the matter of the new Electoral Code [(EC)] will also help to call [it] off.

The ruling faction reminded Pashinyan that (…) they cannot go to the elections under the old [Electoral] Code. Pashinyan objected that the agreement on snap elections was made with the [parliamentary] opposition over the old [Electoral] Code and should be agreed with them.

(…) Pashinyan has kept both ways open: elections under the old EC, calling [them] off under the pretext of adopting the new EC.