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Armenia needs social and political reforms, says president’s adviser

Mass opposition rallies broke out in Armenia earlier in April

YEREVAN, May 7./TASS/. Armenia needs social and political reforms, president’s adviser Tevan Poghosyan told TASS on Monday.

"We must all change and realize that if we have become a country which has the supremacy of the statute law, a lot depends on our actions," Poghosyan said, urging the society and political forces to work towards reforming the country.

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Poghosyan was appointed adviser to President Armen Sarkissian on May 4. In 2012, politically uncommitted Tevan Poghosyan was elected to the country’s parliament from the opposition Heritage Party, having a parliamentary seat until 2017.

Mass opposition rallies broke out in Armenia on April 13. Ten days later on April 23, Armenia's then-newly appointed Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned amid the ongoing unrest. Deputy Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan was appointed as Acting Prime Minister. Two days later, the ruling parliamentary coalition collapsed following the exit of the Dashnaktsutyun party.

On May 1, Armenia’s parliament rejected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan’s bid to become prime minister. Pashinyan was backed by 45 lawmakers, but failed to obtain the 53 seats he needed to have a majority. After that, he called on his supporters to continue large-scale civil disobedience actions.

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