Opposition Leader Calls for Nationwide Strike in Armenia

Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader in Armenia, on Tuesday, April 30, after failing to secure the necessary votes in the parliament for the premiership, called for a nationwide strike in the country. Reports indicate that in an emergency parliamentary session, Nikol Pashinyan urged members of the Republican Party, which holds the majority of seats in parliament, to agree to his premiership; otherwise, they would face a 'political tsunami.' On Tuesday, Mr. Pashinyan 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 parliamentary seats. After failing to secure the necessary votes, Nikol Pashinyan called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday. Mr. Pashinyan has asked his supporters to engage in civil disobedience, shutting down all public services, including schools, airports, and streets. Speaking to tens of thousands of his supporters in Republic Square in central Yerevan on Tuesday evening, he said, 'We will close the streets, airports, railways, and metro.' He added, 'If everyone participates in civil disobedience, it will be a great victory for the Armenian nation. Our struggle is a peaceful one. This is a peaceful act of civil disobedience.' 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 the President of Armenia for 10 years and increased the powers of the prime minister's office during the last year of his presidency through constitutional changes, and just a week after leaving the presidency, the parliament elected him as prime minister. Accused of 'attempting to cling to power indefinitely,' he ultimately resigned from his position on April 23 amid rising public protests.