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Armenian opposition leader calls for strike

Armenia Materials 1 May 2018 22:35 (UTC +04:00)

Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan has not been elected as the country's interim prime minister amid ongoing protests, Sputnik reported.

In a heated address after the vote, Pashinyan said a nationwide strike in Armenia would be held starting Wednesday. He called on people to block the streets, airports and railway stations, adding that the protests would be peaceful. Pashinyan also urged the police to put down their shields and join his movement.

Earlier in the day, the National Assembly of Armenia failed to elect Pashinyan, the only candidate in the vote, for the post of prime minister.Forty-three out of the 105 parliamentarians had supported Pahinyan, while he needed 53 votes to get elected. Lawmakers of the ruling Republican Party voted against the opposition leader's candidacy, despite his warnings of a "political tsunami" in case he wasn't elected.

Pashinyan, who has been at the helm of the weeks-long rallies in Armenia, has slammed the ruling party for its decision, calling it an "insult to the people."

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