13:07, 26 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Lawmaker Vladimir Vardanyan from the ruling My Step bloc says the constitution allows the incumbent prime minister to continue serving as caretaker prime minister in the event of tendering resignation.

“There is no restriction or prohibition,” Vardanyan, the Chair of the parliamentary committee of state-legal affairs told reporters in response to opinions that Pashinyan can’t be the caretaker prime minister.

“In many countries, when a prime minister and the government resign, the country’s sovereign or the president tasks the prime minister and cabinet members to continue fulfilling their duties until the formation of a new government. This practice exists in many countries,” he said.

Vardanyan stressed that the fact that Pashinyan’s resignation isn’t an ordinary resignation but rather a move required to pave way for the dissolution of parliament must be taken into account.

He said the government must continue functioning in order to avoid a power vacuum. However, he noted that perhaps there is an absence of constitutional convention in Armenia.

At the same time, he noted that the constitution doesn’t prohibit the prime minister to designate another person to be an acting prime minister. “There is no constitutional dispute at this moment between constitutional bodies, the process is proceeding normally,” he said.

Vardanyan mentioned however that a problem of compatibility might arise during campaigning in terms of state resources, noting that this must be avoided.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on April 25 – a move intended to pave way for snap election. The entire Cabinet also resigned. Holding early elections requires the dissolution of parliament, which in turn can happen when the legislature fails twice to elect a prime minister after the incumbent steps down. 

Pashinyan said in his address to the nation that after parliament is dissolved his Civil Contract party will run in the June 20 elections and he will be re-nominated for prime minister.

Pashinyan and his Cabinet are now the caretaker government until the new government is formed.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan