Gleb Garanich / Reuters Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, center, has been elected the new prime minister of Armenia.

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan was elected as Armenia’s new prime minister on Tuesday, capping a peaceful revolution driven by weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism in the ex-Soviet republic.

Moscow, which has a military base in Armenia, is wary of an uncontrolled change of power which would pull the country out of its orbit, but Pashinyan has offered assurances that he will not break with the Kremlin.

The election of Pashinyan, a former newspaper editor who spent time in prison for fomenting unrest, marks a rupture with the cadre of rulers who have run Armenia since the late 1990s.

He spearheaded a protest movement that first forced veteran leader Serzh Sarksyan to step down as prime minister and then pressured the ruling party to abandon attempts to block his election as prime minister, the country’s most powerful post.

In a vote in parliament on Tuesday, 59 lawmakers backed Pashinyan’s candidacy, including some from the ruling Republican Party, with 42 voting against.

In a vote last week, the Republican Party blocked Pashinyan, but it said on Tuesday it had decided to get behind him for the sake of unity and the good of the nation.

A central square in the capital, where Pashinyan’s supporters gathered to watch the voting on huge television screens, erupted into joy when the result was shown.

The tens of thousands of people in Republic Square shouted “Nikol!” and white doves were released into the air. People hugged and kissed each other.

“I’m the happiest person in the world,” said Shogik, a 17-year-old Pashinyan supporter.

Armenia is a country of about three million people nestling in mountains between Turkey and Iran.

Pashinyan’s protest movement was sparked when Sarksyan, barred by the constitution from seeking another term as president, became prime minister instead. Many Armenians saw that as a cynical ploy by Sarskyan to extend his hold on power.

The protests led by Pashinyan, wearing his trademark camouflage T-shirt and military-style cap, channelled a sense among many Armenians that corruption and cronyism was rife in the ruling elite.</s>MOSCOW, May 8 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday congratulated Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinyan on becoming prime minister, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The Kremlin expressed hope that close relations between Russia and Armenia would grow stronger still.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan who was elected Armenia’s new prime minister spoke on the phone on Tuesday and agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties, the Kremlin said in a statement.</s>Armenia’s parliament voted for opposition leader Pashinyan to take the post of Prime Minister, weeks after the politicians spearheaded a popular revolt against Armenia’s longtime leader Serzh Sargsyan. Armenia has relied heavily on Moscow after the Soviet Union’s collapse and houses a Russian military base near its second-largest city of Gyumri.

Russia’s newly-inaugurated President Vladimir Putin was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinyan on becoming prime minister on Tuesday.

“I expect that your work as the head of government will contribute to further strengthening the friendly, allied relations between our countries,” the Kremlin cited Putin as saying in a congratulatory message to Pashinyan Tuesday.

Throughout Armenia's wave of protests, Moscow has remained publicly neutral, and Pashinyan has consistently said he viewed Moscow as a vital ally.

In the lead-up to his election on Tuesday, Pashinyan said that he was committed to staying in an economic bloc and regional collective security organization led by Russia, which is wary of an uncontrolled change of power that would pull the country out of Russia’s orbit.

Pashinyan told the state-run TASS news agency that he hoped to meet Putin on May 14 during a Eurasian Economic Union summit in Sochi.</s>Armenia's parliament has elected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as new prime minister, two weeks after Serzh Sargsyan resigned following widespread anti-government demonstrations.

Pashinyan's so-called Velvet Revolution has exercised true people power - the ability to conjure up a storm of support on request.

His protest movement began with a march of non-violence on March 31, demanding Sargsyan to step down.

Pashinyan, 42, experienced a meteoric rise in popularity in recent weeks by appealing to Armenians of all ages.

The election of Pashinyan, a former newspaper editor who spent time in prison for fomenting unrest, marks a rupture with the cadre of rulers who have run Armenia since the late 1990s.

He promised to rid the country of what he called a oligarchic, nepotistic political system, a message that has resonated with a younger generation frustrated by a lack of opportunities.

Pashinyan spearheaded a protest movement that first forced veteran leader Sarksyan to step down as prime minister and then pressured the ruling party to abandon attempts to block his election as prime minister, the country's most powerful post.

In a vote in parliament on Tuesday, 59 MPs backed Pashinyan's candidacy, including some from the ruling Republican Party, with 42 voting against.

In a vote last week, the Republican Party blocked Pashinyan, but it said on Tuesday it had decided to get behind him for the sake of unity and the good of the nation.

A central square in the capital, where Pashinyan's supporters gathered to watch the voting on huge television screens, erupted into joy when the result was shown.

The tens of thousands of people in Republic Square shouted "Nikol!" and white doves were released into the air. People hugged and kissed each other.</s>Armenia's parliament on Tuesday elected the until-now leader of the opposition as the country's new prime minister, two weeks after massive anti-government protests led to his predecessor's resignation.

Nikol Pashinyan, who leads the liberal Yelk ("Way Out") coalition, received 59 votes from his fellow lawmakers in the National Assembly, six more than the minimum needed to become head of government.</s>YEREVAN—Armenia witnessed an historic day as the country’s legislature elected Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister weeks after a popular movement toppled the former leader Serzh Sarkisian forcing him to resign a post to which he was elected mere seven days before.

After failing to elect a prime minister on May 1, the parliament on Tuesday with a vote of 59 to 42 elected Pashinyan, the people’s candidate and one that was nominated by one-third of lawmakers to the highest office to the country,

The Republican Party of Armenia, which essentially blocked Pashinyan’s election last week, voted

The session opened with Parliament Speaker Ara Babloyan recognizing that it was the 26th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi, to which the parliament convened with applause from the gathered parliament members.

Pashinyan’s Yelk alliance member Lena Nazaryan introduced the candidate by presenting his biography after pointing out that Armenia has experienced a new renaissance through a people’s movement that has forced change in the country through smile, laughter and dance.

She invited Pashinyan, who outlined that the fact that this session of parliament was taking place on the anniversary of the liberation of Shushi was a clear indication that the heroic battles that realized Artsakh’s liberation will also be applied to free the people of Armenia from the social injustices they have endured for several decades.

The parliament session was taking place as thousands gathered at Republic Square to view the proceedings live on day which Pashinyan on Monday declared a holiday.

Also present and observing the session from the parliament gallery was System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, who arrived in Armenia on Monday and joined Pashinyan at a rally, declaring his support for the popular movement leader.

In his remarks, Pashinyan, among other elements, singled out the role of the Diaspora in the advancement of the future of Armenia.

He also pledged that any upcoming election will be devoid of fraud and the bribery, which have become commonplace in Armenian elections. He said that beginning with the parliament session, the people of Armenia will take part in free and fair elections.

He pledged to continue the negotiations for a peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict, saying that was imperative for Artsakh to rejoin the negotiations, based on a decision by the OSCE Minsk Group leaders in a 1992. He also pledged that Armenia would remain on the forefront of advancing international recognition for the Armenian Genocide as an effort to ensure that such crimes are prevented.

Pashinyan also said that his government would reject the practice of a policy of assessing fines on citizens, who are confronted with receiving punitive fines as a way of life and a cycle that confine citizens in a society based on fines.

He also pledged that under his leadership would closely monitor Armenia’s Armed Forces, whose rights would be a priority and whose wellbeing will become a key focal point of his government.

At the same time, Pahinyan recognized the participation of a large number of students in the popular movement, declared that he would reform the educational system in Armenia, where a student will be able to become a part of the advancement of the country’s economy through their professional contributions.

He was also quick to point out that his government will advance women’s right and engaging more women in government. He also pledged a review of the electoral code, and emphasized the importance of critical reforms of the laws, which would ensure that every citizen’s ballot is counted.

Republican Party of Armenia faction leader Vahram Baghdasaryan said that his party has decided to support Pashinyan’s candidacy not as an expression of support but as an effort to emerge from what he called a crisis in the country. As such, he declared that 10 plus one members of his faction would cast their ballot for Pashinyan. He urged the parliament to not count those members as those who have abandoned their party.</s>Newly elected Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan meets with supporters in Yerevan, Armenia May 8, 2018. © 2018 Reuters/Vahram Baghdasaryan/Photolure

“No more bribes, no more monopolies, human rights will be protected, rule of law will prevail!” said protest leader Nikol Pashinyan, in his speech before Armenia’s parliament voted him as the country’s new prime minister. This follows weeks of protests across Armenia, as tens of thousands demonstrated against the country’s outgoing president, Serzh Sargsyan, who tried to hold power by becoming prime minister following his two presidential terms.

The mood is festive in Armenia, as the public largely sees the unfolding events as history-in-the-making. They see it as a new beginning for this post-Soviet country, which is in an unresolved conflict with a neighbor and plagued with rampant corruption, poverty, and a monopolized economy. As a result, droves of Armenians are emigrating to other countries.

But once the celebrations are over, the new leadership has the daunting task of pushing through reforms needed to address the grievances that brought the public to the streets.

One of Pashinyan’s top tasks is to prepare the country for the next parliamentary elections, which means ensuring a free and fair vote. He will need to work with the Republican Party, which still holds the majority in parliament, to undertake substantial electoral reforms – the existing system gives unfair advantages to the party in power. Vote buying and government pressure on public servants to deliver results for the ruling party are persistent and well-documented problems. For example, the ruling party has used teachers in campaign events, and many school directors have used their influence on students and their parents to recruit supporters for the ruling party.

But ensuring a free and fair vote is only the beginning. Protesters were also incensed by poverty, corruption, and the fact that the economy is dominated by oligarchs who are close to political leadership. Then there is the lack of accountability for law enforcement’s abuses, lack of judicial independence, and other human rights issues, including protecting minorities and ensuring justice for domestic violence survivors.

Even for a former journalist, turned politician, turned opposition leader, and now elected prime minister, this will be an enormous challenge. It will be up to Pashinyan and Armenia’s government to create and support the independent and strong state institutions aspired to by Armenia’s public.</s>Weeks of crisis in Armenia have ended with the Armenian parliament’s election of opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan Prime Minister.

He was the only candidate after it became clear that the ruling Republican party’s attempts to install its own candidate in place of its retired leader Serzh Sargsyan – whose attempt to appoint himself Prime Minister triggered the crisis – was unacceptable to large sections of the Armenian public.

Almost the first steps Pashinyan has taken as Armenia’s new leader is pledge to continue Armenia’s military alliance with Russia – which he says (correctly) is essential for Armenia’s security – and say that Armenia will remain a member of the Russian led Eurasian Union.

Pashinyan has also said that he intends to attend the forthcoming Eurasian Union summit meeting, where he intends to meet Russian President Putin for the first time.

Pashinyan has expressed opposition in the past to Armenia’s membership of the Eurasian Union. That will undoubtedly lead some to suspect that his recent pledges to continue Armenia’s alliance with Russia and to keep Armenia inside the Eurasian Union are cynical manoeuvres intended to buy him time whilst he builds up his power base so that he can chip away at the links to Russia later.

I take a different view. I think it more likely that Pashinyan’s earlier criticisms were simply intended to distinguish him from Sargsyan and the Republicans, and now that he has achieved his purpose of becoming Armenia’s Prime Minister they will be quietly forgotten.

Even if that is wrong, the very fact that Pashinyan has felt obliged to make these pledges as soon as it became clear that he would become Prime Minister speaks for itself.

The simple fact is that Pashinyan would almost certainly not have become Armenia’s Prime Minister if he had not made these pledges. Quite simply there is no critical mass in Armenia of opponents of the nation’s alliance with Russia sufficient to propel to power a politician who pledges to end that alliance. Far too many Armenians realise that given Armenia’s difficult geopolitical environment the alliance with Russia is – as Pashinyan says – essential for Armenia’s security to make it possible for an Armenian politician who wishes to end that alliance to gain power.

That immediately limits what Pashinyan can do, even if he secretly does wish to break with Russia, which as it happens I strongly doubt.

Donate When you donate €20 or more, we'll send you our custom-made mug FREE! Your donations help us expose media lies and keep the fight at their doorstep. Will you help expose the lies of the mainstream media? As a reader of The Duran, you are well aware of all the propaganda and disinformation reported by the mainstream media. You know how important it is to bring real news to light. Please support The Duran and help us keep reporting on news that is fair, balanced, and real.</s>Exactly a month ago, Nikol Pashinyan was walking from village to village across Armenia in a desperate protest against a power grab by the country’s prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan.

On Tuesday Pashinyan, a fiery political orator who has spent the past decade in street politics, was himself elected as prime minister in a 59-42 vote in parliament, capping weeks of peaceful mass protests.

It has been an unlikely rise to power in the post-Soviet republic of about 3 million. Before April, the ruling Republican party’s stranglehold on Armenian politics had appeared intact, with Sargsyan newly installed as prime minister after term limits forced him to step down as president after 10 years.

But governance changes that in tandem bolstered the prime minister’s office led to accusations that Sargsyan had manipulated the constitution to cling to power. Pashinyan and other activists brought out tens of thousands of people on to the streets for protests that paralysed the capital, Yerevan.

Sargsyan resigned on 23 April in a stunning concession to the opposition. Pashinyan, who had been detained and then released from jail during the protests, called for snap elections to choose a new “people’s prime minister”.

Supporters say Pashinyan, a former newspaper editor who was also imprisoned after opposition rallies in 2008 turned deadly, is among history’s great peaceful revolutionaries. “You can absolutely compare him with historical figures like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela,” said Eduard Aghajanyan, a city council member from Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, and one of Pashinyan’s young, western-educated advisers.

It has been a dangerous road for Pashinyan. He was expelled from university in 1995 for his political activities, and faced libel charges as the editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak in 2000. His car was blown up in an apparent assassination attempt in 2004, and in 2008 he spent months in hiding after being accused of instigating political protests that ended with 10 people dead. He was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2010 but was released the following year under an amnesty.

He has publicly fallen out with other opposition leaders such as the former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In private, detractors say Pashinyan is a novice when it comes to working in government and unwilling to compromise. He entered parliament in 2016 as a member of a coalition of opposition parties.



“The main question is whether Nikol Pashinyan the revolutionary can become Nikol Pashinyan the prime minister,” said Emil Danielyan, a journalist and political analyst in Yerevan.

He has a flair for the theatrical. Last month Pashinyan told Sargsyan in face-to-face discussions that he had “come to discuss your resignation”. Sargsyan called the demand “political blackmail” and walked out of negotiations.

Pashinyan has however shown a deft political touch over the past month, running a gauntlet of thorny political questions including whether Armenia should maintain close ties with Russia and whether there should be a purge of former ruling party officials and a criminal trial into the deaths of protesters in 2008.

In an interview with the Guardian during the protests, Pashinyan said dark political forces had been trying to derail Armenia’s peaceful revolution. His aides said Karen Karapetyan, the prime minister from September 2016 until last month, and who is close to Russia, had sought backroom deals to derail a vote last week for Pashinyan to become PM, which he lost.

“Some forces are trying to engage us into political bargaining and propose me to become prime minister but ensure and guarantee the continuation of the existing system,” Pashinyan said. “And for me, my goal isn’t to become prime minister. My goal is bring real changes to Armenia.”

He spoke of plans to further open Armenia to foreign business and break the control over certain industries held by businessmen close to the previous regime. 



Still, he and his supporters have largely skirted policy discussions in favour of rallying cries for reform in the poor country of about 3 million people, which borders Turkey and Iran and is locked in a simmering territorial conflict with another neighbour, Azerbaijan.

There is a touch of the populist in Pashinyan – he has donned a camouflage T-shirt for some speeches, but returned to a suit for negotiations with other parties. “He is not a populist. He is popular,” said Ararat Mirzoyan, a fellow member of Civil Contract, who was arrested with Pashinyan last month.

Mirzoyan said he had seen Pashinyan grow as a leader in recent years as the two worked together in parliament. Asked about the party’s specific policies, he said: “Only once we achieve fundamental reforms can we begin talking about the changes for the future sector by sector.”
Armenia's parliament elects protest leader Nikol Pashinyan as the new Prime Minister.