Armenian parliament begins special meeting on PM election
YEREVAN. May 1 (Interfax) - The Armenian parliament has begun a special meeting dedicated to the election of the next prime minister.
The protest movement leader and head of the opposition faction Elk, Nikol Pashinyan, is the sole candidate for prime minister. He was nominated by the Elk faction which has nine seats in the parliament.
The Tsarukyan opposition faction (31 seats) and the Dashnaktsutyun faction (7 seats) said they would vote for Pashinyan.
The ruling Republican Party has an absolute majority in the parliament - 58 seats. The party of former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan said it would not nominate a candidate for premiership.
Pashinyan would need six votes of ruling party members to be elected in case all deputies of the other factions participate in the ballot.
A new prime minister will be elected in Armenia but it is unknown when, the head of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Republican Party, Vagram Baghdasaryan, told reporters on earlier.
"Everything will depend on how deputies feel. Armenia must elect the prime minister, but I cannot tell you whether or not this will happen today," Baghdasaryan said.
Republican Party deputies will make sure there is a quorum, and the parliament will have a special meeting to elect the prime minister, he said.