Armenia sets date for early parliamentary elections (UPDATED)

Armenia to hold early parliamentary elections on June 20, Prime Minister Pashinyan announced on his Facebook page.

“I just met with the leader of the Prosperous Armenia faction Gagik Tsarukyan. During our meeting we noted that the best way out of the current political situation are early parliamentary elections. Taking into consideration also my discussions with the President, the My Step faction, the Bright Armenia faction leader Edmon Marukyan, early parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia on June 20 this year,” he wrote.

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Armenia will announce on Thursday or Friday that it is to hold a snap parliamentary election, the Interfax news agency quoted a government minister as saying, amid a political crisis that has pitted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against the army.

Pashinyan has faced calls to resign since last November when he agreed to a Russian-brokered ceasefire that halted six weeks of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Interfax quoted Environment Minister Romanos Petrosyan, a member of Pashinyan’s party, on the election decision.

“We’re preparing for snap elections. I think today or tomorrow the decision will be announced as well as the date,” Petrosyan said.

The army told Pashinyan to quit on Feb. 25, prompting the prime minister to sack the chief of the army’s general staff. But Armenia’s president declined to approve Pashinyan’s move and the general’s lawyer said on Thursday he remained in his post.

News.Az 

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