Armenia: “People’s candidate” Pashinian assures ambassadors he’s working to resolve crisis

Armenia: “People’s candidate” Pashinian assures ambassadors he’s working to resolve crisis
Nikol Pashinian now stands every chance of being made PM on May 8 but has called for protesters to come out on to the streets on that day to remind parliament of the will of the people. / Yerevantsi.
By bne IntelliNews May 4, 2018

Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinian on May 3 met with the ambassadors of Russia, the US, Georgia, and the EU to assure them he is working to bring his country's political crisis to an end.

"I informed the ambassadors about the agreements which have been reached on resolving the domestic crisis," he said in a statement on his Facebook page posted late on May 3. "Several issues of bilateral relations were discussed as well. Meetings with ambassadors accredited in Armenia will continue,"  ‘Armenian velvet revolution’ protest leader Pashinian, expected to secure enough votes to become interim prime minister on May 8, said.

Pashinian was nominated for prime minister for a second time by the Yelk party bloc, which includes his own Civil Contract party, and allied opposition parties in parliament earlier on May 3. The ruling Republican Party (HHK) has said that it will support him as the "people's candidate."

Meanwhile, Interfax reported the the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia hopes to maintain "good and constructive" relations with Armenia and hopes that Armenian parties will resolve their differences "as soon as possible".

Ex-newspaper editor Pashinian, 42, has told his supporters they should take a rest, remain in touch through Facebook, and be ready to return to the streets on May 8 to pressure parliament into following through on the HHK pledge to make him PM.

Pashinian led three weeks of protests that forced Republican leader and former president Serzh Sarkysan to step down as prime minister days after he was elected to the position by MPs.

May 2 saw a huge show of non-violent civil disobedience after Pashinian’s first shot at becoming PM fell through in parliament when the HHK declined to support him.

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