Armenia’s National Assembly did not elect a Prime Minister during its October 24 session. Yelk faction, led by the acting PM Nikol Pashinyan, nominated the latter for the post of prime minister. Nikol Pashinyan did not get enough votes to be elected on purpose.
None of his supporter MPs voted for his candidacy while one MP voted against and eleven abstained.
Prosperous Armenia Party, Republican Party of Armenia and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun factions have declared their nonparticipation in the voting process.
This was the first step in the process of triggering snap parliamentary elections which has been the main item on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s agenda since gaining the post following the “velvet revolution’ past spring.
Per the 2015 constitutional revision, special parliamentary elections are automatically called for in the scenario where the sitting prime minister resigns and the legislature fails to elect a new prime minister during two consecutive parliamentary sessions.
For this purpose, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on October 16.
“I congratulate you on the abstention decision,” said the President of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan at the end of the parliamentary session.
If prime minister is not elected during first round of parliamentary voting, a new election is held seven days later. If the National Assembly once again fails to elect a prime minister during the second round, it will be dissolved. Extraordinary elections will be held no earlier than 30 and no later than 45 days after the dissolution of the parliament.
These extraordinary elections will give Nikol Pashinyan the opportunity to be elected as Prime Minister for a four-year term.
