PM Pashinyan invites opposition forces to hold consultations on snap elections in 2021

 21:27,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan invites parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces to hold consultations over the issue of holding snap elections in 2021, ARMENPRESS reports PM Pashinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

''Dear people, dear compatriots, it's now obvious that the process initiated by the opposition demanding the resignation of the PM did not enjoy people's support. The opposition had all the opportunities to generate the people's support – it possesses huge financial, media, organizational resources, it had wide opportunities to organize protests and rallies, but the movement was not only unable to secure popular support for its demands, but also the number of its supporters has been reduced to a minimum, the street process is nearly extinguished'', Pashinyan wrote.

According to the PM, no one can say that the authorities kept the power by using harsh force.

'' On the contrary, we are accused of being unnecessarily mild. But all these do not change the commitment of our political team and personally my commitment to stand in front of the people and be held accountable.

I do not cling to the seat of the Prime Minister, but I cannot have a careless attitude towards the power, the post of the Prime Minister handed over to me by the people. The fate of that position and the future political leadership of the country should be decided by the people, with free _expression_ of their will, and I, as the Prime Minister of Armenia, consider myself the guarantor of that free _expression_ of will’', Pashinyan wrote.

Pashinyan added that he is ready to step down based only on the decision of the people.

''I am also ready to continue leading Armenia in case the people reaffirms trust in this hard period. There is only one method of getting answers to these questions – holding snap parliamentary elections. Based on the mentioned, I invite parliamentary and interested extra-parliamentary forces to hold consultations to discuss the issue of holding snap parliamentary elections in 2021'', PM Pashinyan wrote.

Vazgen Manukyan is the candidate of the opposition movement for the Prime Minister's position. Vazgen Manukyan served as the first Prime Minister of Armenia from 1990 to 1991 under President Levon-Ter Petrosyan. He then served briefly as Defense Minister.

Manukyan was the President of the Public Council from 2009 to 2019.