Caretaker First Deputy PM to replace Pashinyan during vacation

12:26, 26 November, 2018

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will replace Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from November 26 to December 5 – the period that Pashinyan will be on a vacation for campaigning ahead of the general election.

“At the decision of the prime minister I will replace him during his vacation. I will represent Armenia at the EEU intergovernmental council,” Mirzoyan said on Facebook.

Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan will be on an unpaid leave from November 26 to December 5, the PM’s office said earlier. 

Yesterday, Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he will take a vacation from Monday to campaign for his Im Kayl (My Step) bloc for the upcoming general election.

Pashinyan is member of the board of Civil Contract, a party that is within the Im Kayl bloc.

“I’m taking a vacation from tomorrow to fully participate in the campaigning,” Pashinyan said on Facebook.

Im Kayl will hold campaigning events today in four Armenian towns: 11:00 in Talin (Aragatsotn Province), 13:30 in Maralik (Shirak Province), 15:00 in Artik (Shirak Province) and 17:00 in Gyumri (Shirak Province).

Armenia will vote to elect a new parliament on December 9. 

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on October 16 to trigger the process of disbanding the parliament.

Pashinyan took office after massive protests in April forced president-turned PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign. But Sargsyan’s Republican Party (HHK) still has most seats in the 105-seat parliament. Since taking office, Nikol Pashinyan has numerously said that the incumbent parliament doesn’t represent the people and that early elections should take place as soon as possible.

In accordance to the Constitution, when a Prime Minister resigns the parliament must elect a new PM within two weeks. Lawmakers deliberately failed to elect a new PM as a formality in order to pave the way for dissolution.

The last round took place on November 1 and the parliament was dissolved by virtue of law.

Later on the same day, President Armen Sarkissian signed an order on dissolving the parliament and calling early elections on December 9.

The parliament will function until the new parliament is elected.

The government is formally a caretaker government until a new government is formed after the election.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan