April 28, 2018 - 18:43 AMT
Armenia: Ruling Republicans won't nominate candidate for PM

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) won’t nominate a candidate for the Prime minister’s post, RPA spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov said on Saturday, April 28.

Opposition leader from Yelk bloc and founder and head of Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan leads the campaign against the ruling RPA.

Prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was forced to resign on Monday, and Pashinyan is now seeking the appointment as prime minister by the National Assembly of what he calls “the people’s candidate,” the formation of a temporary government and snap parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan and acting prime minister from the ruling party Karen Karapetyan were scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 25 but the meeting was canceled. Pashinyan urged demonstrators to resume the rally, with the protesters paralyzing traffic on several major avenues and streets in Yerevan and gathering at the Republic Square again.

On Friday, the protests were moved to Gyumri, Armenia’s second biggest town in the country’s north, while Saturday masses gathered in the Vayots Dzor province.

Later on Wednesday, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia declared it is ready to discuss any issue with all the parties.

Pashinyan on Thursday invited Karapetyan to negotiations before the media, no response has been received yet.