All news

Thousands of protesters gather outside Armenia’s parliament

The Armenian prime minister also said that he would resign soon to speed up the process of dissolving the current parliament and holding early parliamentary polls

YEREVAN, October 2. /TASS/. Thousands of supporters of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gathered outside the country’s parliament on Tuesday following the adoption of a bill that complicates the procedure of dissolving the parliament.

The bill, which heated up political tensions in the country, was approved by 61 lawmakers, representing not only the ruling-turned-opposition Republican Party of Armenia, but also the Prosperous Armenia and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (also known as ARF or Dashnaktsutyun), who are members of the incumbent coalition government.

Earlier in the day, Pashinyan said he was dismissing all governmental ministers and regional chiefs who are members of the Prosperous Armenia and ARF. The Prosperous Armenia currently has four governmental ministers and two governors in its ranks, and the ARF has two ministers and two governors.

The Armenian prime minister also said that he would resign soon to speed up the process of dissolving the current parliament and holding early parliamentary polls, but will remain the acting head of the Armenian government.

"I’m getting ready to tender my resignation, but I will announce the date later. We need this in order to hold early parliamentary polls. I think that the people will not let a new premier be elected during this period," Pashinyan said.

Recently, Pashinyan entered the parliamentary building for talks with lawmakers representing the three parties. His supporters outside the parliament chant slogans demanding the Republican Party of Armenia to resign.