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A5M(1,A - The Armenian parliament has elected opposition leader 1ikol Pashinyan as the country’s new prime minister, after an outpouring of populist anger against the ruling elite in the former 6oviet republic.

Thousands of Pashinyan’s supporters, who had gathered in a central square in the capital, <erevan, to watch the vote on large screens, erupted into cheers when the result was announced.

The result amounts to a peaceful revolution in Armenia, a small nation of around million people that borders 5ussia, Turkey and ,ran. ,t marks a dramatic split from a corps of leaders who have run Armenia since the late 1 s, developing a reputation for corruption and cronyism.

The tipping point came two weeks ago when veteran leader 6er]h 6argsyan, who had served the ma[imum two terms as president of Amenia, was appointed prime minister -- complete with new powers conferred by a controversial referendum he had supported. Many Armenians felt it was little more than a power grab. Pashinyan, a former Mournalist and leader of the opposition Civil Contract party, put himself at the front of the protest movement as thousands of people took to the streets in <erevan. 6tung by the protests, 6argsyan stepped down. %ut his 5epublican party, which holds a maMority in parliament, thwarted Pashinyan’s first bid to replace him. ,n Tuesday’s vote, some 5epublicans switched sides, and Pashinyan won the backing of lawmakers, with voting against him. 2n both occasions, Pashinyan was the only candidate. 5ussia, which retains a military base in Armenia, would bristle if events showed signs of spiraling out of control. 6o far, it has largely stayed on the sidelines.

(CNN)