Chairman of the Prosperous Party of Armenia, Gagaik Tsarukyan (left) meets with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Oct. 8
ARF Representatives meet with Deputy Prime Minister.
YEREVAN—Following a more than two-hour long meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and chairman of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan have signed an agreement to hold snap parliamentary elections in December—a plan being pursued by Pashinyan.
The agreement states that Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia Party will not put forth a candidate in the event of the prime minister’s resignation, which is needed to begin the snap election process. The two also agreed to wage a fair campaign and work together to promote human rights and the strengthening of Artsakh and Armenia.
In a video released by the prime minister’s office Tsarukyan told Pashinyan that he has always been a proponent of early snap elections and reminded the prime minister that he and his party has supported the people’s movement from the first moment.
The Tsarukian bloc was one of three parliamentary factions—the Republican Party of Armenia and Armenian Revolutionary Federation—that last Tuesday voted to amend the electoral code in an effort to thwart Pashinyan’s push to hold the election in December.
According to reports, representatives of the the ARF, parliament Spartak Seyranyan and chairman of the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia Arsen Hambartsumyan met with Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan.
“We had a productive discussion over a broad range of issues. I think future discussions will provide an opportunity to find the right solutions to overcome the current situation,” Hambartsumyan told reporters after the meeting with Avinyan adding that the ARF will inform the public of future developments.
Earlier on Monday, Seyranyan expressed that if there was a public consensus, the ARF would not oppose snap elections in December. He added, however, that certain issues must be discussed, specifically a change to Armenia’s police structure to have become accountable to the government and not the prime minister.
The copy of the agreement signed between Pashinyan and Tsarukyan
Source: Asbarez
Link: UPDATED: Pashinyan, Tsarukyan Agree to December Election