Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on his proposal to hold snap parliamentary elections during his speech in the Republic Square in Yerevan. The Prime Minister noted that it was a way to build public solidarity, directed to parliamentary forces, but the they continued to reject it until February.
“We said that if the opposition, especially the parliamentary opposition, the “17+” movement led by Vazgen Manukyan reject that offer, it makes no sense to hold special parliamentary elections against the will of the whole political field. Today the leader of one of the parliamentary opposition forces, Edmon Marukyan, stated that still from that time we have proposed to have snap elections for not holding elections. In other words, it was a formal offer, we waited for them to refuse - they refused. We, as planned, initially rejected the proposal for parliamentary elections.
I want to officially say again from here, that we did not pretend, we said that we will keep our promise. If first of all, the parliamentary forces accept our proposal, presented in January and late December, we will hold snap parliamentary elections, because we are convinced that the people will be able to establish a legitimate government in Armenia through their free will.
They say that the people demand my resignation. They had every opportunity to show in the squares that the people demanded my resignation. I give a second chance and I throw down this challenge. Let's go to the elections and see whose resignation the people demand, see what the people demand,” said Pashinyan. He added that they had even thought of versions of slogans and decided that if the proposal for early parliamentary elections was accepted, their slogan would be “No to the velvet (refers to the Velvet, non-violent revolution)”.
Addressing the demonstrators, he said that the people had made him the Prime Minister, and only they can remove him from that position. The people must get that opportunity by voting.
“I apologized to you today and I want to be sure that you forgive me, that you forgive us. I challenge the parliamentary forces to go to the snap parliamentary elections. I ask you to support this call, do not be afraid, my people.
The readiness to hold these elections has one goal: we will not seek our victory in those elections; we will seek your victory. Because you have to win! There should not be any winning force in Armenia; there should be only one force - the people. And the rest of the forces: political, armed and all other forces, must unconditionally obey the legitimate government elected by the people, there is simply no other option,” Pashinyan said.
