Armenia’s prime minister offers to discuss early election


PTI, Dec 26, 2020, 3:29 PM IST

Yerevan: Armenia’s prime minister said he was ready to discuss the possibility of holding an early parliamentary election, but rejected opposition demands to step down over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.

Opposition supporters have rallied for weeks, urging Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step down over the November 10 peace deal that saw Azerbaijan reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

The Russia-brokered agreement ended 44 days of fierce fighting in which the Azerbaijani army routed Armenian forces.

Pashinyan has defended the peace deal as a painful but necessary move to prevent Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region. He argued Friday that his critics lack broad public support for their demand.

“I’m not clinging to the prime minister’s seat, but I can’t carelessly treat the post given to me by the people,” he said on Facebook.

Pashinyan added that he was ready to hold consultations with the nation’s political parties to discuss calling an early parliamentary election next year.

Opposition supporters on Friday continued blocking streets in the Armenian capital and engaged in occasional scuffles with police.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left Nagorno-Karabakh itself and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands.

Heavy fighting that erupted in late September marked the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, killing more than 5,600 people on both sides.

The Russia-brokered peace agreement stipulated that Armenia hand over control of some areas it holds outside Nagorno-Karabakh’s borders.

Azerbaijan also retained control over areas of Nagorno-Karabakh it had taken during the conflict.

The peace deal was celebrated in Azerbaijan as a major triumph and triggered outrage and mass protests in Armenia.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

ED restores Rs 3.82 crore worth assets to K’taka Waqf Board

13 IAS officers transferred, including Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO

Dr G Parameshwara: 18,000 vacancies exist in Karnataka police department

Yadgir: Bhoyar Harshal Narayanrao appointed new deputy commissioner

Karnataka govt releases Rs 244 crore as truckers go on strike

Karnataka leadership change not an issue, Cong high command decides such matters: Surjewala

UP made remarkable progress on SDGs, saw 25-point jump in score over in 5 years: Adityanath

Related Articles More

Many of you can become astronauts, walk on Moon: Shubhanshu Shukla tells students at NESAC

Floods wash away Nepal-China border bridge

US extends reciprocal tariff suspension period from July 9 to August 1

Global shares mostly down as Trump’s tariff deadline looms, pressure steps up

Russia’s ex-minister found dead hours after being fired in apparent suicide, officials said

MUST WATCH

Agriculture Technology | Farming

Beluru Chennakeshava History

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

Lady Goschen Hospital | Milk bank

Cashier steals gold deposited by customers

Latest Additions

ED restores Rs 3.82 crore worth assets to K’taka Waqf Board

13 IAS officers transferred, including Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO

Dr G Parameshwara: 18,000 vacancies exist in Karnataka police department

Yadgir: Bhoyar Harshal Narayanrao appointed new deputy commissioner

Karnataka govt releases Rs 244 crore as truckers go on strike

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.