YEREVAN, April 30. /TASS/. Armenian opposition leader and candidate for prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Monday he plans to form a "government of accord."
"We must form a government based on tomorrow’s voting (on prime minister at the parliament). I want very much to see all the factions demonstrate unity in a bid to get out of the political crisis. I plan to form a government of accord," he said at a meeting with lawmakers with the ruling Republican Party.
He pledged to do no "personnel purges" if he was elected prime minister. "Those professionals who are working with government structures will continue their work," he said.
Mass opposition rallies have been continuing in Armenia since April 13. On April 23, newly appointed Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned amid ongoing protests. Two days later, the ruling parliamentary coalition broke down following the exit of the Dashnaktsutyun party.
The parliament will elect the country’s prime minister on May 1. Three parliamentary factions, namely Dashnaktsutyun, the Tsarukyan bloc and Elk, have already announced their decision to vote for Pashinyan. The ruling Republican Party said it would not nominate its candidate.
Pashinyan, a lawmaker with the Elk faction, may become Armenia’s prime minister in case he scores the votes of 53 out of 105 lawmakers (simple majority). The ruling Republican Party has 58 seats, Elk has nine seats, Dashnaktsutyun - seven seats, and the rest are controlled by the Tsarukyan bloc.