Armenia could possibly get minority govt – parliamentary commission chairman

Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire
May 4, 2018 Friday 9:57 PM MSK
Armenia could possibly get minority govt - parliamentary commission chairman
YEREVAN. May 4
Governments in countries with parliamentary systems can be changed by
changing the parliamentary majority, which in Armenia currently
belongs to the Republican Party, Gevork Kostanyan, the chairman of the
Armenian parliamentary standing commission for state and legal
affairs, told journalists on Friday.
"Governments in the country change when the parliamentary majority
changes. A change of government may occur through a change in the
configuration of parliamentary factions. This may happen, for
instance, if some parliamentarians leave a faction, or if factions put
together coalitions," Kostanyan said.
If Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the opposition Elk faction, is
elected prime minister, this faction will de facto stop being in
opposition, he said.
"If the Elk faction's composition remains the same as it is now, then
we will have a minority government, but power will formally and
legally belong to a majority - the Republican Party," Kostanyan said.
The majority may not pass bills proposed by the government, he said.
"In the end, this would lead to the government's resignation and new
elections, as the executive body will be unable to act in this
situation," Kostanyan said.
The Armenian parliament consists of four political forces. The
Republican Party's faction controls an absolute majority of votes, 58.
Elk has nine, Tsarukyan 31, and Dashnaktsutyun, which recently
withdrew from a coalition with the Republican Party, has seven
parliamentarians.
The Armenian parliament will elect a new prime minister on May 8.
Pashinyan is the only nominee.
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