Armenian opposition leader calls new rally

The Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, who helped force the country’s prime minister to resign called on supporters to stage a rally today after planned talks with the ruling Republican Party were canceled.

"The Republican Party is thinking about taking advantage of Serzh Sarksyan’s resignation and wants to keep power,"Pashinyan said in a video appeal posted on his Facebook page after he led thousands of people on a march.

"We can’t agree on the appointment of this party’s representative as prime minister and we can’t allow this corrupted system to continue to exist,” he said, urging supporters "to come to the square and finish the velvet revolution."

The opposition and ruling party could not agree on an agenda or format for Wednesday’s meeting, although Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan said one of the topics at a rescheduled session could be holding early parliamentary elections, something Pashinyan was insisting on.

Pashinyan said yesterday he was ready to be the country’s next premier and would keep up pressure on the ruling elite until it agreed to real change.

"If people put this responsibility on me, I’m ready to become the prime minister," Reuters cited Pashinyan as saying.