Opposition Leader of Armenia Elected as Prime Minister

Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader in Armenia, has been elected as the new Prime Minister by the parliament. His election comes two weeks after the resignation of Serge Sargsyan, the former president who was closely aligned with Russia. Sargsyan stepped down following a nationwide strike and widespread street protests led by Pashinyan. Protests in Armenia began after Sargsyan, who had been president for 10 years, increased the powers of the Prime Minister's office through constitutional changes in the last year of his presidency, and just a week after leaving the presidency, he was elected Prime Minister by the parliament. Pashinyan called on the people to gather in front of the parliament during the election of Sargsyan's successor, leading to ongoing and widespread protests. In today’s session, the Armenian parliament elected Nikol Pashinyan as the new Prime Minister with 59 votes in favor and 42 against. This is despite the fact that he failed to secure parliamentary support for the Prime Minister position last week. The ruling Republican Party, which was the main obstacle to Pashinyan's premiership in the previous election, supported him this time due to what they termed 'the interest of the country and the nation.' Pashinyan had previously warned that if the parliament opposed his premiership, a political tsunami would occur in Armenia and the people would continue their protests. Reports indicate the joy of Pashinyan's supporters in the streets of Armenia following the parliament's approval of his premiership. After being elected Prime Minister, Pashinyan announced that his first action would be to restore normalcy in Armenia and combat corruption. He also added that relations with Russia, especially military cooperation with the country, remain a priority for Armenia. At the same time, he promised to free the country from the grip of an oligarchic system.