Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Dear people, compatriots,
Now it is already clear that the opposition’s demonstrations demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation weren’t supported by the people.
The opposition had all the opportunities to generate the people’s support since it had tremendous financial and media resources and had resources for organizing the demonstrations, had wide opportunities to organize rallies and protests, but not only did the opposition fail to ensure the people’s support, it also had a minimum number of supporters, and there are fewer demonstrations at the square.
Nobody can say that the authorities maintained power through brutality. On the contrary, the authorities are blamed for being soft.
However, this in no way changes my and our political team’s commitment to bearing responsibility before the people. I am not clung to the seat of Prime Minister, but I also can’t be negligent towards the power granted to me by the people.
The people need to determine the fate of the future political leadership of the country through _expression_ of free will, and I, as Prime Minister of Armenia, consider myself the guarantor of the _expression_ of that will.
I am also ready to leave the post of Prime Minister based on the people’s decision, but I can leave the post only upon the people’s decision.
I am ready to continue to serve as the leader of the Republic of Armenia in this difficult period, if the people reestablish their confidence in me.
There is only one way to receive the answers to all these questions, and that is the holding of snap parliamentary elections.
Based on the aforementioned, I am inviting parliamentary forces and interested extra-parliamentary forces to consultations over the holding of snap parliamentary elections in 2021.”