Armenian opposition to boycott presidential election
YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. The opposition Hayastan (Armenia) and Pativ Unem (I Have Honor) alliances in the Armenian National Assembly will not nominate candidates for the post of president. The position has become vacant after Armen Sarkissian resigned on January 23 citing lack of constitutional powers to influence domestic and foreign policies of the country.
On February 1, the ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan officially nominated non-partisan Vahagn Khachatryan, currently a minister of high-tech industry, for the post of president. On March 3, Pashinyan announced that the presidential election will be held in early March of this year.
A statement posted on the Facebook page of the Hayasatn alliance reads that the Armenian Constitution demands that the Armenian President should be impartial and be guided by the national and state interests. It says also that Armenia today is facing serious internal and external challenges, and national unity and public solidarity have no alternative.
"However, the current government, which has brought the country to the brink of collapse and divided society, has decided to continue working in the same spirit, guided only by narrow command interests, rather than state interests. Although the Presidential Institute should act as a truly neutral institution, uniting society, the current government has decided to elect president solely by its own force", the statement says.
The statement also slams the international community for being inactive and silent regarding obvious facts of the retreat of democracy, including the formation of a one-man dictatorship.
"We have discussed the advisability of nominating a candidate, but in the current situation we consider it unacceptable and wrong to participate in the legitimization of this election, even indirectly. Based on this, the Hayastan and Pativ Unem factions of the National Assembly have decided not to participate in the presidential election in any way," the statement reads.
Under a package of constitutional reforms, endorsed in a national referendum in 2015, Armenia changed the governance system of the country from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic in 2018 April.
The president of Armenia, whose powers are significantly curtailed, is elected for a term of seven years by the parliament. Presidents are limited to one term of office.
The President of Armenia may not hold any other office, be engaged in entrepreneurship and other paid occupation, as well as may not be a member of any party during his or her term of office.
The candidate, who has received at least three-fourths of the votes of the total number of MPs is elected as President of Armenia. If the president is not elected, then a second round of elections is held, in which all the candidates who took part in the first round can take part. In the second round, the candidate who receives at least three-fifths of the votes of the total number of deputies is elected president.
If the president is not elected, a third round of elections is held, in which the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the second round may participate. In the third round, the candidate who receives a majority of the votes of the total number of deputies is elected as president. If the president is not elected, a new election of President is to be held within ten days. -0-
