Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian’s chances of becoming Armenia’s prime minister increased late on Saturday after he was effectively endorsed by businessman Gagik Tsarukian and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).
Tsarukian, who leads the second largest faction in the Armenian parliament, said he and his allies will back “the people’s candidate” when the National Assembly elects the next premier on Tuesday.
“Nobody has the moral right to misappropriate the people’s victory,” Tsarukian told his Kentron TV channel. “The people must decide, nominate a candidate. Together with my team, I will be voting for the people’s candidate. We are not going to nominate our candidate.”
Asked whether that means he is endorsing Pashinian, he said: “The people’s candidate is Nikol, [Pashinian allies] Sasun [Mikaelian] and Ararat [Mirzoyan.] Whoever is nominated by the people, we will unanimously vote for the people’s candidate.”
Tsarukian also spoke of his “very positive” attitude towards the protest movement that was launched by Pashinian two weeks ago against former President Serzh Sarkisian’s attempt to extend his rule. The unprecedented movement is driven by legitimate grievances of the country’s population, he said.
Tsarukian’s political alliance holds 31 seats in Armenia’s 105-member parliament, compared with 9 seats held by the Yelk bloc, of which Pashinian is a leading member.
Dashnaktsutyun, which control 7 parliament seats, also signaled support for Pashinian’s candidacy. “Dashnaktsutyun has no final decision yet, but we believe that in the context of our statement made yesterday we will support Nikol Pashinian’s candidacy in case of its nomination,” a leader of the party, Arsen Hambardzumian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
The statement cited by him called on the parliamentary forces to agree on a prime-ministerial candidate “enjoying the trust of the people.”
Dashnaktsutyun pulled out of Armenia’s governing coalition after Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian was forced to resign on April 23.
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