Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan promised to make an important announcement later today regarding implementation of the final stage of the “Velvet Revolution”.

Yesterday, Pashinyan’s Press Secretary Arman Yeghoyan told Hetq that the prime minister would announce his resignation today in a bid to hold snap parliamentary elections by December.

The make-up of the current National Assembly dates back to an election held in 2016. Most in Armenia regard the parliament as illegally constituted and not representative of the people.

Article 149 of the Armenian Constitution states that in the event that the prime minister resigns, the parliamentary factions have seven days to nominate candidates for the post.  

If a prime minister is not elected, a new election shall be held seven days after the vote, in which the prime-minister candidates nominated by at least one third of the total number of parliamentarians may take part.

If a Prime Minister is not elected by majority vote of the total number of parliamentarians, the National Assembly shall be dissolved.

Last week, Nikol Pashinyan and Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukyan signed an agreement obligating the BHK not to nominate its own candidate for prime minister or to vote for any candidate.

The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), which enjoys a relative majority of MPs in the legislature, has declared that it has no intention of nominating its own candidate for prime minister.

The HHK says it wants to parliamentary elections to be held next May or June, thus allowing it time to campaign. The HHK argues that the current political environment in Armenia isn’t conducive for free and fair elections.