Senior Republican lawmaker Galust Sahakyan on Tuesday, April 29 was elected Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia through a closed secret ballot, facing rivalry from only one self-nominated oppositionist, Armenia Now reported.

Sahakyan, 66, a deputy chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, received 101 votes in the Assembly including a total of 131 members.

Only three voted in favor of Hrant Bagratyan, who is formally affiliated with the opposition Armenian National Congress faction. Two ballots were recognized as invalid.

The post of the parliament speaker remained vacant since April 13 when its previous holder Hovik Abrahamyan was appointed Prime Minister. The candidacy of Sahakyan, the RPA parliamentary faction leader, to the post of parliament speaker had been backed by President Serzh Sargsyan, the chairman of the party.