YEREVAN. – During its meeting a short while ago, the opposition “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction of the National Assembly (NA) nominated faction head Nikol Pashinyan’s candidacy to the office of Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (RA).

“We have nominated Nikol Pashinyan as candidate for RA Prime Minister,” Yelk faction MP Edmon Marukyan wrote on his Facebook page. 

The NA will debate on the new PM’s election matter at its special session on Tuesday.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia’s (RPA) parliamentary faction has announced that it will not nominate its own candidate for PM. Also, RPA faction head Vahram Baghdasaryan noted that if the other three political forces represented in the parliament nominate a single candidate, their faction will not get in the way of Armenia having a new PM on Tuesday.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun Party’s NA faction proposed all parliamentary factions to   nominate Pashinyan as the single candidate for PM.

And the “Tsarukyan” Faction has decided to support the “people’s candidate.”

The RPA, Tsarukyan, Way Out, and ARF factions have 58, 31, 9 and 7 seats, respectively, in parliament.

At least 53 votes are needed to elect the new Prime Minister of Armenia.

After 11-day nationwide protest actions by the movement, led by opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member and NA “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan, ex-President and RPA leader Serzh Sargsyan resigned from his recently-elected post of Prime Minister, on April 23.

Subsequently, Pashinyan announced that they will continue negotiations with the incumbent authorities on April 25, and toward achieving a smooth transfer of power in Armenia. But it became clear on the evening of April 24 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 April 25, since the RPA wants to retain power at the expense of Sargsyan’s resignation.

And on April 26, Pashinyan invited Karapetyan to start the second round of negotiations on April 27, and before the media.

But Aram Araratyan, the spokesperson of Karen Karapetyan, issued a statement on April 27, according to which the acting PM considers “negotiations” with Nikol Pashinyan viewless, and therefore he refused to take part.

And on April 29, civil disobedience actions resumed after a two-day break.

Also, according to Nikol Pashinyan, all streets in capital city Yerevan shall be closed off on Tuesday, when the NA will elect the new Prime Minister of Armenia.