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Armenian opposition leader claims authorities seek to disrupt PM’s election

The Republican Party plans to nominate its own candidate for the premier within seven days, Nikol Pashinyan added

YEREVAN, May 1. /TASS/. Armenia’s opposition leader and candidate for prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused the ruling Republican Party of planning to disrupt the election of the country’s prime minister.

"I found out that during the overnight meeting held by Serzh Sargsyan (former Armenian prime minister) the Republican Party of Armenia decided to derail the voting. I call on everyone to come for a rally on Republic Square in the morning and defend the victory," Pashinyan said during the online broadcast on Facebook.

The Republican Party plans to nominate its own candidate for the premier within seven days, he added.

The parliament is scheduled to elect the prime minister at noon (11.00 a.m. Moscow Time) on May 1. Pashinyan, a lawmaker with the Yelk faction, is the only candidate for the post.

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

Three parliamentary factions - the Tsarukyan bloc, Dashnaktsutyun and Yelk - have already announced they would vote for Pashinyan. The Republican Party has not nominated its candidate.