Protest leader elected as Armenia’s prime minister amid turmoil

Armenia’s parliament has elected opposition MP Nikol Pashinian as the country’s new prime minister.

Mr Pashinian had spearheaded weeks of largely peaceful protests that gripped the country during a time of political turmoil.

His election by a 59-42 vote overcomes one hurdle in resolving the crisis, but the Republican party he opposed retains a majority in parliament.

Mr Pashinian, who led what has become known as Armenia’s “Velvet Revolution”, promised MPS that human rights would be protected, and that corruption and electionrigging would end.

“All people are equal before the law,” he said. “There will be no people enjoying privileges in Armenia. That’s it. Full stop.”

Mr Pashinian has suggested that he will push for recognition of the sovereignty of the Nagorno-karabakh region – one of Armenia’s most difficult and volatile problems.

The Nagorno-karabakh region in Azerbaijan has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994.

Fighting periodically breaks out between those forces and Azerbaijani troops stationed on the other side of a demilitarised zone.

In a speech to parliament preceding his election as premier, Mr Pashinian said that his “revolution will lead to the de-jure recognition of realising the rights of Karabakh to self-determination”.

Any move to advance the region’s sovereignty would likely be met with considerable hostility from Azerbaijan and its ally, Turkey.

Both those countries closed their borders with Armenia over the conflict, leaving Armenia with direct land access only to Georgia and Iran.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Mr Pashinian’s supporters were celebrating on the central square of Armenia’s capital Yerevan.

Many of the supporters are wearing white clothes, symbolising their hopes that Mr Pashinian’s election will bring a new page in Armenia.

“We chose a new road in Armenia where the driver will be the people and not clans. Jobs will appear, people will return, corruption will disappear,” said demonstrator Tigran Azizian, a 42-year-old worker in the city’s subway.

A landlocked nation of 2.9 million people, Armenia is dependent on Russia for its security and has a Russian military base on its territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately welcomed Mr Pashinian’s success, saying he looked forward to continuing “friendly relations”.

Armenia is part of Russia’s collective security organisation as well as its Eurasian economic union.