Armenia elects Nikol Pashinyan as new prime minister

YEREVAN, Armenia

Nikol Pashinyan, the head of the country's opposition movement, became the nation's new prime minister in the second round of the parliamentary elections on Tuesday.

A former journalist and leader of the opposition Civil Contract party, Pashinyan won the elections in the second round as the only candidate with 59 votes for and 42 against him.

Crowds of people gathered at the Republic Square in Yerevan early in the morning in support of Pashinyan ahead of the vote.

Last week, Pashinyan lost the elections to be the interim prime minister as he failed to receive support from the ruling Republican Party.

Despite running as the only candidate then as well, Pashinyan received 45 votes in parliament and failed to secure the necessary 53.

Last month, Pashinyan led mass protests against the ruling Republican Party, which brought daily life in Yerevan to a standstill and forced former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan to resign.

Reporting by Ali Cura:Writing by Sibel Ugurlu

YEREVAN, Armenia

Nikol Pashinyan, the head of the country's opposition movement, became the nation's new prime minister in the second round of the parliamentary elections on Tuesday.

A former journalist and leader of the opposition Civil Contract party, Pashinyan won the elections in the second round as the only candidate with 59 votes for and 42 against him.

Crowds of people gathered at the Republic Square in Yerevan early in the morning in support of Pashinyan ahead of the vote.

Last week, Pashinyan lost the elections to be the interim prime minister as he failed to receive support from the ruling Republican Party.

Despite running as the only candidate then as well, Pashinyan received 45 votes in parliament and failed to secure the necessary 53.

Last month, Pashinyan led mass protests against the ruling Republican Party, which brought daily life in Yerevan to a standstill and forced former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan to resign.

Reporting by Ali Cura:Writing by Sibel Ugurlu