Epress.am News from Armenia
On October 8, while speaking about the possible scenarios to reach snap parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Pashinyan declared that the decision for his resignation is not final.
“While I was in Paris, certain things happened in Armenia that we need to take into account. I am specifically talking about the interview given by Gagik Tsarukyan, head of the Prosperous Armenia party. When I was in Paris, he gave a TV interview in which he supported the idea to hold snap elections in December. Based on this interview, I am planning to meet Mr. Tsarukyan to discuss the current situation and to share our understanding of possible scenarios for a resolution.
I think there will be a meeting with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party too, as I interacted with some representatives of the Diaspora-based ARF and I think there will be a discussion,” said Nikol Pashinyan and stressed that there is a public outcry over his possible resignation.
“I see a big public outcry over this, I don’t want us to resemble the past authorities who were receiving a public demand to resign and they wouldn’t resign, and behave in the same manner now that people demand that we not resign, but we insist on resignation.”
In an interview to Radio Free Liberty given one hour after this statement, Gevorg Kostanyan, MP of the Republican fraction at the National Assembly stated that he gave his full support to Nikol Pashinyan. “Regardless of political and partisan affiliation and differences of positions, there is an important principle. Today we have authorities, if these authorities fail, the entire state will fail, each of us will fail and the future of our children will. I don’t think that anyone will obstruct or should obstruct the work of the current authorities, on the contrary, anyone with common sense should support the current authorities because this is a guarantee to the country’s progress. While our issue should not be anyone’s narrow party-related or political interests. Everyone’s concern and especially mine is the fate of the country.
There is a broad public consolidation around the personality of Nikol Pashinyan and this means that the authorities of today and specifically Nikol Pashinyan enjoy such a level of popular and public support that also needs support at the legal level.”
Kostanyan also emphasized that if under the current circumstances any political force nominates their own candidate for a prime-minister, this will create a serious political and social backlash. “If there is another person who has such a constituency, then we can discuss their candidacy, but I don’t see any person like that. Therefore I believe that nominating a prime-minister under the current circumstances will be something artificial and in reality will create an obstruction because if there is no public consolidation around this person, this will automatically create some artificial situation, and I am not in favor of anything artificial.”
Another statement was made on October 8 by Alik Sargsyan, MP of the Republican fraction that he had de facto stopped his work at the fraction and might stop attending the National Assembly. He plans to make a statement about leaving the fraction in the near future.
Another republican MP, Arman Sahakyan, an MP and owner of “Shirak” football club wrote on his Facebook profile that he is in favor of holding parliamentary elections in December. “Given the crisis situation in the country, I declare that I support dissolution of the National Assembly and holding snap elections in December. I am convinced that the predominant majority of voters in Shirak will agree with me.”
After these statements Nikol Pashinyan made a call to people through his Facebook profile. The call specifically reads: “Dear compatriots, it is necessary to support and not to accuse those parliamentarians who support dissolution of the National Assembly and holding snap elections in December.
In reality, they carry out your demands. Let’s encourage all those who accept that there is nothing higher than the will of the people.”