December 9 set as Election Day. Pashinyan travels to Artsakh
YEREVAN—Having failed for a second time to elect a prime minister, on Thursday Armenia’s National Assembly dissolved, per relevant constitutional provisions, setting the stage for snap elections next month.
President Armen Sarkissian on Thursday signed a decree declaring December 9 as the snap parliamentary election day.
According to Armenia’s Constitution, after the resignation of the prime minister, if the parliament fails to elect a new prime minister in two attempts, set seven days apart, the legislature automatically dissolves itself and new parliamentary elections must be held within 30 to 45 days.
Of the 105 lawmakers making up the parliament 70 lawmakers were registered for Thursday’s session. None of the legislators either voted “for” or “against” Pashinyan, who was nominated by his Yelk alliance and businessman Gagaik Tsarukyan’s faction, and 13 members abstained.
“What is historic about [today] is that after the nonviolent, velvet, people’s revolution that took place in April-May we completely return the power in the Republic of Armenia to its citizens. We return to the citizens and the people of the Republic of Armenia the power to decide the fate of future political processes,” Pashinyan told Parliament.
Soon after the dissolution of parliament, Pashinyan traveled to Artsakh.
Watch Pashinyan’s address to parliament on Thursday
After the September Yerevan municipal elections when Pashinyan’s “My Step” party garnered more than 86 percent of the votes, Pashinyan moved to compel early parliamentary elections in December. This move was met with resistance by certain parliamentary factions, especially the former president Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia, which until Thursday held a majority in the legislature.
Mr Armen Syarkissin and Nikol Pashinyan must notify people of their OVERALL PLAN. What is their AGENDA???
Since Pashinyan’s arrival as Prime Minister there have been no declarations of what their SCHEDULE is?
This is very cleverly done. No promises at all accept entertaining Germany, France and ignoring Armenia’s core FRIENDS.
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Armenia must make new friends but must not forget the old ones.
“”Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold …””
Armenia’s best friends are Eurasian Economic Union members and Iran.
If it was not for Iran and Russia, more Christians would have been SLAUGHTERED in Syria. Germany and France, England and USA were doing nothing at all to protect Armenians in Syria.
USA promising weapons to Armenia is nothing but trouble for Armenia. If things go wrong, USA will not help.
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Armenian people must WATCH Mr Armen Syarkissin and Nikol Pashinyan and must not allow them to make wrong decisions and hurt Armenia. Before Armenians re-elect Pashinyan again, they must know what are Pashinyan’s PLANS for Armenia? Shaking hands with Prince Charles is not enough….
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If Armenia needs to smear some changes to the existing relationship with Russia and make them more favorable for both countries, then they must discuss it with Russia and I am sure that those changes will be accepted. Pashinyan and Sarkissian must not make HASTY decisions and jump out of a FRYING PAN into FIRE.