Monday, Senior U.S. Official Phones Pashinian SERBIA -- Wess Mitchell, U.S. assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, is seen at a press conference in Belgrade, March 14, 2018 A senior U.S. State Department official telephoned opposition leader Nikol Pashinian on Monday to discuss the continuing political crisis in Armenia. In a short Facebook post, Pashinian said he and Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell touched upon “issues relating to a peaceful and legal resolution” of the crisis sparked by massive anti-government protests. He did not elaborate. The State Department renewed at the weekend its calls for the leading Armenian factions to end the turmoil through dialogue. “The United States continues to monitor closely the situation in Armenia,” said a spokeswoman for the department, Heather Nauert. “As a friend of Armenia, we urge all parties to engage in good faith negotiations on the formation of a new government in accordance with the Constitution, and to reach a resolution that reflects the interests of all Armenians.” “We support the ongoing efforts of the Office of President [Armen] Sarkissian to facilitate dialogue between all parties. We continue to commend the peaceful nature of the demonstrations, and trust that the security forces and those exercising their right to peaceful protest will remain committed to non-violence in the days to come,” Nauert added in a statement. The U.S. ambassador in Yerevan, Richard Mills, met with both Pashinian and acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetian last week in a bid to help ease political tensions in Armenia. Pashinian spoke with Mitchell the day before a session of the Armenian parliament which is due to elect the country’s new prime minister. The previous premier, Serzh Sarkisian, resigned on April 23 under pressure from tens of thousands of Pashinian supporters demonstrating in the streets against his continued rule. Pashinian Grilled By Parliament Majority Members • Ruzanna Stepanian Armenia - Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian meets with parliament deputies from the Republican Party of Armenia, . Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian faced tough questions from members of the pro-government majority in the Armenian parliament on Monday as he tried to secure their backing for his bid to become the country’s prime minister. Senior lawmakers from the ruling Republican Party (HHK) pounced on his past harsh criticisms of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and his current pledges not to pull Armenia of the Russian-led blocs. Pashinian met with the HHK’s parliamentary faction in the presence of journalists one day before a session of the National Assembly which is due to choose a replacement for former Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. The latter stepped down on April 23 amid massive street protests organized by Pashinian. Although the 42-year-old opposition politician has been endorsed by three other parliamentary forces, he needs the HHK’s full or partial support to become prime minister. The party until now headed by Sarkisian has made clear that it will not nominate acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetian or anybody else for the vacant post. “Our immediate task is to turn the page of political feud and create an atmosphere of solidarity based on law,” Pashinian said before answering questions from the parliament majority members. Some of them cited his earlier denunciations of the Sarkisian administration’s decision to make Armenia part of the EEU and his claims that membership in the Russian-led trade bloc is very bad for the country. They repeatedly challenged him to explain why he is now making very different statements on the subject. “We now have new political realities and must reckon with them,” Pashinian kept saying. A “drastic” change in Armenia foreign policy would only hurt the country, he argued. Eduard Sharmazanov, a deputy parliament speaker, remained unconvinced. “You have just proved very well that the foreign policy of the Armenian government has stemmed from Armenia’s national interests and that out accession to the Eurasian Union served those interests,” he said. Armen Ashotian, another senior HHK lawmaker, likewise said Pashinian must now admit that he was wrong and that Sarkisian’s foreign policy decisions were justified. The HHK’s Samvel Farmanian demanded, for his part, further clarifications of Pashinian’s position on Armenia’s broader relations with Russia Pashinian assured him that just like the current government he regards Russian-Armenian ties as a “strategic alliance.” Answering other questions, Pashinian would not say who will be given key ministerial posts in his cabinet if he is elected prime minister. He promised only that he would form a “government of accord” and avoid staff “purges.” He also insisted that a smooth handover of power to his movement will significantly accelerate economic growth in the country. The HHK’s Gagik Melikian disagreed, saying that the daily protests across the country are on the contrary taking a heavy toll on the Armenian economy. “People must have no hopes for a better life for the next seven or eight years,” he claimed. “I don’t share your pessimism and think that there will be quick and tangible changes,” responded Pashinian. He said a “lack of justice and rule of law” are the main hurdles to faster growth and that he would act quickly to eliminate them. The HHK faction met behind the closed doors after the question and answer session with Pashinian. Armenian Protest Leader Schedules ‘Victory Rally’ • Karlen Aslanian ARMENIA - Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan arrives to attend at a rally in Yerevan, Armenia, Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian on Monday said that the Armenian parliament will almost certainly elect him prime minister and urged supporters to celebrate his victory in Yerevan’s central square. He told them to gather at Republic Square at 11 a.m. on Tuesday one hour before the start of an extraordinary session of the Armenian parliament during which lawmakers will vote for the new premier. Pashinian, who is a leader of the opposition Yelk alliance, is the only candidate nominated by parliamentary forces for the country’s top executive post. Three of them -- Yelk, the Tsarukian Bloc, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation -- have officially endorsed him, while the ruling Republican Party (HHK) has pledged not to “obstruct” his candidacy. The HHK controls 58 of the 105 seats in the National Assembly. The parliament vote will come one week after massive protests organized by Pashinian’s opposition movement forced Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian to resign. Sarkisian was elected prime minister on April 17, nine days after completing his second presidential term. The end of his presidency completed Armenia’s switch to a parliamentary system of government. “The Armenian people will be celebrating their victory here,” Pashinian told thousands of people who again gathered at Republic Square. He said they will be able to watch Tuesday’s parliament session live from giant screens to be placed there in the morning. He stressed that they must not block streets or march to the parliament building or any other locations in the city center from the square. Pashinian had earlier urged supporters to “flood the streets and squares” of the capital and surround the parliament building during the session. The 42-year-old former journalist has repeatedly said that he intends to serve as prime minister in the interim, until the holding of fresh parliamentary elections demanded by his movement as well as several other political groups. It remains unclear when such polls might take place. Pashinian has said that he is ready to discuss their possible dates with the HHK and other parliamentary forces. Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org