Nationwide Protests and Strikes in Armenia; Main Roads Blocked

Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader in Armenia, who announced that a nationwide protest would take place on May 2, described the participation of opponents and the extent of the strike as 'unprecedented' and stated that a 'significant statement' would be released during the demonstrations. In a message on Facebook, Mr. Pashinyan said that 'no roads are open in Yerevan and other cities' and that people have joined the nationwide strike in response to the parliamentary voting. He urged protesters to open the main roads and called on everyone to gather at Republic Square in Yerevan at 7 PM local time. On Tuesday, May 1, after failing to secure the necessary votes in parliament to assume the role of Prime Minister, Pashinyan called for a nationwide strike. He received only 45 votes for the premiership, while he needed 53 votes in the Armenian parliament. The ruling Republican Party currently holds 58 out of 105 seats in parliament. While Nikol Pashinyan has called for protests and civil disobedience, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has called for dialogue to resolve the crisis ahead of a second parliamentary vote scheduled for May 8 next week. The President stated, 'I am very sorry that despite everyone speaking about the dangerous consequences for the future of the country, the political crisis continues.' Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan also called on all political powers in the country to show 'goodwill and flexibility' and participate in negotiations. The recent developments in the power struggle in Armenia come as widespread protests against Serzh Sargsyan led to his resignation from the premiership. Mr. Sargsyan was President of Armenia for 10 years and increased the powers of the Prime Minister's office in the last year of his presidency, and just one week after leaving the presidency, he was elected Prime Minister by the parliament.