Armenian opposition MPs continue to call for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation even though the ruling My Step (Im Kayl) parliamentary faction has nixed the idea of snap elections any time soon.

Yesterday, My Step faction MPs announced that they had met with Pashinyan and concluded that there was no public demand for snap elections.

Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) MP Mikayel Melkumyan, in parliament today, said he was surprised by the ruling party’s decision to pull back from snap elections since it was the government that floated the idea in the first place.

Opposition political forces in Armenia have been calling for Pashinyan’s resignation following the Armenian military defeat in Artsakh.

An alliance of various parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces is pushing the idea of a transitional government to assume power in the country. They argue that such a government is needed to stabilize what they call a “political crisis”.

The key point of contention is that the opposition wants Pashinyan to resign before the holding of new elections.

Prosperous Armenia is a vital member of the alliance that calls itself the Homeland Salvation Movement.

Pashinyan has rejected calls for his resignation but did propose the possibility of snap elections to elect a new prime minister.

"The idea of ​​holding snap elections was put forward by the government itself, thus acknowledging that there is a political crisis, and the tool for resolving the crisis was snap elections, they went on the condition of elections," said Melkumyan.

Melkumyan said that Pashinyan ditched the idea of holding fresh elections because he realized his popularity ratings had slumped and that he might lose.

Bright Armenia (LH) parliamentary faction leader Edmon Marukyan took the podium and declared that the government was playing games.

It should be reminded that Pashinyan proposed that the parliamentary opposition sign a memorandum stating that if he were to resign, no new candidate would be nominated, which would dissolve the parliament, but the opposition rejected this proposal.

Marukyan urged his colleagues not to take the My Step announcement seriously, saying that Pashinyan, at Wednesday’s Q&A session, might remark that he’s in favor of snap elections.

Marukyan said the government never intended to hold fresh elections and merely had floated the idea.

"The incumbent prime minister does not want to leave in any case, but will he be able to keep power that way? I think not,” said Marukyan.

My Step faction head Lilit Makunts said the political opposition had failed to garner widespread public support and that snap elections are not on the agenda.

"As for the conditions on how they should be conducted, it is especially important, because not only the opposition participates in the elections, but also the government. We have stated that the demand for a change of government is possible for us only through elections," Makunts said.

She added that government officials have met with members of the public and discerned no demand for early elections.