Armenia's ex-president Kocharyan unveils intention to compete in early parliamentary election

YEREVAN, January 28. /ARKA/. Ex-president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said Wednesday that he was going to take part in the early parliamentary elections whenever they take place.

On December 25, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was ready to step down to pave way for such elections. The opposition forces, however, demand that he resign and give his position to an interim prime minister who must prepare the country for early elections. According to Pashinyan, "the opposition's demand that he resign does not have broad public support."

In a televised interview late on January 27 evening Kocharyan said: “We have the necessary tools and a team for the political struggle. As for the elections, it would be more correct to have a time lag to use it for stabilizing the situation and holding snap elections in a much calmer atmosphere. Because holding early elections today amid the ongoing contradictions, ambiguity, lack of answers to many questions would be really dangerous. And I will definitely take part in them.'

He said if nevertheless the authorities manage to impose the early elections sooner, he would participate as well.

“I think it’s right to participate. Otherwise, we will give these people in power the opportunity to reinstall it. I understand all the problems associated with this issue, the likelihood of falsifications, doubts about legitimacy. But I still don’t think it is right to leave these people alone with the public. Therefore, yes, we will take part and win. We will fight and win," Kocharyan said. 

Armenia’s constitution says that early parliamentary elections must be called only if the prime minister steps down and the parliament twice fails to elect another prime minister. Pashinyan's My Step bloc controls 83 seats in the 132-member parliament and can prevent the election of another prime minister nominated by the opposition minority.

Nevertheless, Pashinyan asked earlier this month the two parliamentary opposition parties - the Prosperous Armenia and the Bright Armenia- to promise to refrain from nominating their candidate in the event of his resignation. Both parties refused to do that. -0-