Possible snap parliamentary elections in Armenia not being discussed - ruling party member

YEREVAN. May 21 (Interfax) - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party has ruled out the possibility of holding early parliamentary elections in the country.

"The issue of snap elections is not under consideration," member of the Civil Contract parliamentary faction Vahagn Aleksanyan told journalists on Tuesday.

The Civil Contract party regards statements on the start of the opposition's impeachment process against Pashinyan with humor, he said.

"We regard statements on the start of the impeachment process with humor. It's obvious that they cannot start this process, but if they do start it, it is bound to fail," Aleksanyan said.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan's movement against the current Armenian authorities "is actually a movement of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan," he said.

"I believe that the majority of its members are thinking now about how to leave this movement, how to quit this process and save face. I think the right way to do it is by praying," Aleksanyan said.

On May 4, Archbishop Galstanyan, with the blessing of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, announced that protests would be held in Yerevan from May 9 against the Armenian authorities' policy on border delimitation with Azerbaijan. He also demanded Pashinyan's resignation. Rallies with this demand have been held in Armenia on a daily basis.

The findings of a public opinion poll conducted by the Armenian office of Gallup International Association showed that a relative majority of Armenian citizens saw Prime Minister Pashinyan's performance as negative, and supported a group of activists led by Archbishop Galstanyan who demand Pashinyan's resignation.