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Armenian opposition leader to meet with representatives for ruling party on April 30

Nikol Pashinyan told reporters earlier that such a meeting was planned

YEREVAN, April 29. /TASS/. Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan will meet with representatives for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) on April 30, press secretary for the Civil Contract party Tigran Avinyan told TASS.

"Yes, there will be a meeting with the whole RPA faction tomorrow," he said in response to a question on whether isolated negotiations with representatives for the ruling party were possible ahead of the election of the prime minister.

Nikol Pashinyan told reporters earlier that such a meeting was planned. He stressed that "changes in the future government" would be discussed there in order to preserve "a normal working atmosphere."

Opposition activists started mass rallies in Armenia on April 13. On April 23, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned amid protests, and on April 25 the ruling coalition dissolved after the Dashnaktsutyun party had withdrawn from it. An election of the prime minister will be held in the parliament on May 1. Three parliamentary factions - Tsarukyan Bloc, Dashnaktsutyun and Yelk - already declared that they are ready to vote for Pashinyan’s candidacy. The ruling Republican Party of Armenia will not nominate its candidate.

Pashinyan (an MP from the Yelk faction) will become prime minister if 53 out of 105 (a simple majority) of MPs of the one-chamber parliament vote for him. The faction of the ruling Republic Party of Armenia has 58 seats in the parliament, Yelk has nine, and Dashnaktsutyun, seven. The Tsarukyan Bloc has 31 more seats in the parliament.

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