YEREVAN. – Armenian lawmakers are arriving at the National Assembly where they will elect the Prime Minister during a special session on Tuesday.

The day earlier the coalition – Republican Party of Armenia and ARF Dashnaktsutyun – nominated Serzh Sargsyan as their candidate for Prime Minister amid ongoing protest actions.

Baghramyan Avenue where the National Assembly building is located as well as a number of streets in downtown Yerevan have been closed since Monday.  

Early in the morning, police detained 29 protesters.

As reported earlier, clashes took place on Baghramyan Avenue, between the demonstrators and police, on Monday afternoon.

“My Step” initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party member and National Assembly (NA) “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan, jumped over the barbed wires placed by the police, and other protesters followed his lead. 

Police used special means, especially stun grenades, against the demonstrators.

As a result of these clashes, 46 people—including Pashinyan—were taken to hospital.

On March 31, the Civil Contract Party, led by Nikol Pashinyan, had started a protest march through several towns of Armenia to prevent the third term in office by ex-President Serzh Sargsyan, but this time as the next likely Prime Minister. The march concluded on April 13, with a rally at Liberty Square in downtown Yerevan, and then with a round-the-clock sit-in at France Square.

Also, the protesters had announced that they plan to block the NA building as well as the houses of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) MPs on Tuesday, so as not to enable them to take part in the next PM’s election.

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