Vazgen Manukyan, a leader of the Homeland Salvation Movement calling for the resignation of Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, said that free and fair parliamentary elections can not be held as long as Pashinyan remains in power.

Manukyan, at an opposition rally today in Yerevan, accused Pashinyan of using the police to govern the country and quash the opposition.

"He has neither a moral right nor the possibility to govern. How can there be elections in a police state?" Manukyan said, adding that those opposed to Pashinyan are patiently moving their struggle forward.

Referring to the low turnout at today’s rally, Manukyan said the number is deceiving and that many more want Pashinyan to leave than attended the rally.

"We have lost a significant part of our homeland. Our army has been broken. We have lost thousands of young people, Aliyev speaks with contempt for Armenians,” Manukyan told rallygoers.

Manukyan, nominated by the HSM to lead a transitional government, called on those opposed to Pashinyan to join the opposition movement or to create their own organizations.

Saying that “the state is dying before our eyes”, Manukyan said the opposition can no longer remain patient given the urgency of the situation.

Following his speech, rallygoers marched through downtown Yerevan to the presidential residence, calling on people to join their movement.