Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan set the date of the snap parliamentary election - December 9, 2018, the Zhamanak newspaper reported with reference to a source close to the government.
According to the republic's Constitution, the parliamentary snap election is held not earlier than 30 and no later than 45 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly.
"If we are to accept that the elections will be held 45 days after the dissolution of the NA, then Pashinyan must resign tomorrow or the next day so that the NA will be unable to elect a Prime Minister, the parliament is deemed dissolved by force of law within a two-week period, and 45 days after that, the parliamentary elections are designated," Zhamanak wrote.
"Though it is not ruled out that the elections are designated 30 days after the dissolution of the NA; and in that case, Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation may take place within the last ten days of October," the newspaper added.
Ex-mayor of Yerevan Vahagn Khachatryan, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that there is a risk that after Pashinyan's resignation, the RPA will nominate its candidate for the post of prime minister, using a majority in parliament. "But Nikol Pashinyan believes that there is no other way, according to the Constitution, except to dissolve the parliament. I agree with him that it is necessary to resolve the political crisis existing in Armenia, literally here and now, so he has to take risks by resigning in the conditions of the RPA majority," he said.
At the same time, Vahagn Khachatryan expects Pashinyan’s party to win in the new parliamentary elections. “The balance of power in the new parliament is approximately clear. Pashinyan’s party will win, Dashnaks won't get a single seat, and the Prosperous Armenia will be the second in the number of deputies. Our new legislation will require at least three parties in the parliament, and here many political forces have an opportunity to be presented in the National Assembly, everything will depend on their election campaigns. In fact, 80% of the population or even more are set to vote for Nikol Pashinyan, and the rest will obtain 2-3% of votes," the former mayor of Yerevan expects.
The director of the Armenian branch of the CIS Institute, Alexander Markarov, in turn, estimated Pashinyan's risks when he will resign as zero. "After yesterday's statements by 14 members of the Republican faction, and then several more joined them, the RPA does not have enough votes to support its candidate after Pashinyan’s resignation or block someone else's. Pashinyan's logic is that after his resignation, not a single political force can nominate an alternative candidate, due to which the parliament will be dissolved and new parliamentary election will be held," he said.
