PM Pashinian to Resign ‘By October 16’

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Wednesday that he is planning to tender his resignation by October 16 to ensure that snap parliamentary elections are held in Armenia in early December.

Under the Armenian constitution, the current parliament will be dissolved if it fails to elect another prime minister within two weeks after Pashinian’s resignation. None of the parliamentary factions is expected to try to replace him by another premier.

“I can say tentatively that the elections will take place approximately on December 9 or 10, plus or minus several days, Pashinian told the France24 TV channel in an interview that will be aired in full on Thursday.

“To this end, I have to tender my resignation by October 16,” he said.

The constitution allows Pashinian to continue to perform his prime-ministerial duties at least until the inaugural session of the new parliament.

The 43-year-old premier, who controls only a handful of seats in the current National Assembly, stepped up his push for the early elections after his alliance won more than 80 percent of the vote in the September 23 municipal elections in Yerevan. Observers believe that his political team will gain a comfortable majority in the new parliament as well.