Pashinyan: Armenian presidential election scheduled to take place in March

YEREVAN, February 3. /ARKA/. Presidential election will be held in Armenia this March, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government meeting on Thursday.

The post of Armenian president has been vacant since February 1, after the resignation of President Armen Sarkissian.

In a January 23 resignation statement, Sarkissian said the country's constitution did not give him sufficient powers to influence the country’s domestic and foreign policies.

Pashinyan said today that his Civil Contract party (it controls 71 seats in the 107-member parliament) has nominated Vahagn Khachatrryan, current Minister of High Technology Industry, for the post of President.

"His candidacy has been proposed by 65 MPs and it inspires some confidence that Khachatryan will not only be nominated but also elected ," the prime minister said, adding that until he is elected Khachatryan will continue to perform his duties as a minister.

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-