YEREVAN, April 27. /TASS/. The Armenian opposition plans to boycott the parliamentary election if a "people’s candidate" does not become the prime minister, opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday.
He earlier stated that the opposition may boycott the election of the prime minister if the ruling Republican Party of Armenia nominates its candidate.
"If a people’s candidate does not become the prime minister, we will probably boycott the parliamentary election," Pashinyan said. He stated that the opposition will consider the election of the prime minister scheduled for May 1 legitimate only if it reflects the people’s will. "If the people’s will is reflected in the voting, this election will be legitimate. If no, then it will not [be legitimate]," he said.
Responding to a question of what he understands as the people’s will and whether he means his candidacy, Pashinyan said that he means "a decision that will help settle the existing crisis." "If the Republican Party or the parliament elects Karen Karapetyan, it will mean that our political crisis has deepened," Pashinyan said. The opposition leader repeatedly stated his readiness to become the prime minister.
On April 23 Serzh Sargsyan resigned as the country’s prime minister under the pressure of the opposition. The election of the new cabinet of ministers is due on May 1. It will be held at the parliament as an open voting.
The opposition demands Pashinyan’s election as the new head of government. The ruling Republican Party of Armenia agreed to an early parliamentary election, but considers the opposition’s demand to elect its leader as prime minister as anti-constitutional.