Gagik Tsarukian has indicated that his Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is ready, in principle, to back Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s efforts to force snap parliamentary elections in December.
“If the people want the pre-term parliamentary elections to be held in December then so do we,” Tsarukian told his Kentron TV channel in an interview aired early on Friday.
On Tuesday, the BHK helped former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) to push through a bill that could make it harder for Pashinian to ensure the dissolution of the current Armenian parliament in the coming weeks.
The premier reacted furiously to the development, accusing the BHK and as well another coalition partner, Dashnaktsutyun, of involvement in a “counterrevolutionary” conspiracy. He also scrapped his power-sharing agreements with the two parties reached in May.
BHK representatives insisted as recently as on Wednesday that the fresh elections should be held in May or June, rather than in December, as is demanded by Pashinian. Like HHK leaders, they argued that political forces need time to amend the Electoral Code and property prepare for the ballot.
With his televised remarks, Tsarukian signaled a softening of the BHK’s position on the issue.
A senior BHK figure, Mikael Melkumian, clarified later in the day that Tsarukian’s party will not object to the holding of the elections in December if “equal conditions” are put in place for all contenders and major amendments to the Electoral Code are enacted.
“If all that can be done at the end of October or the beginning of November we can hold [elections in December,]” Melkumian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “What matters to us is substance, not timing,” he said.
Under Armenia’s constitution, early elections can be called only if the prime minister steps down and lawmakers fail to elect his or her successor in the next two weeks. Pashinian has pledged to tender his resignation this month. He has warned lawmakers against replacing him with someone else.
Speaking to Kentron, Tsarukian also insisted that his party is not engaged in any “counterrevolutionary” activity. “The prime minister should look for counterrevolutionary individuals within his own team,” he said without elaborating.
In that context, the tycoon flatly denied any cooperation with Sarkisian or another former president, Robert Kocharian.