Opposition leader warns against use of troops

The opposition leader spearheading weeks of protestinarmeniawarned the government yesterday not to deploy troops and said the country’s political crisis cannot be solved by force.

Nikol Pashinian said that the ruling party effectively was suicidal for rejecting his bid to become prime minister in a parliamentary vote a day earlier.

He said the rejection of his bid to lead the country had only galvanised the opposition and that if the government brings troops to the capital in order to quell protests “all the soldiers will come to us and join us”.

Mr Pashinian comments came as opposition protesters blocked the road leading from Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, to its airport, as well as several subway stations and government ministries.