Serzh Sargsyan elected Prime Minister of Armenia

The National Assembly voted 77/17 on Tuesday to elect Serzh Sargsyan’s the Prime Minister of Armenia.

In his speech at the parliament’s special session, the former president expressed a strong commitment to serve the people “as a political figure enjoying the parliamentary majority’s support”.

Edmon Marukyan of the opposition alliance Yelq (Way Out) said their political team was determined to vote against Sargsyan.

The opposition Tsarukyan alliance said their members were free to vote “at their own discretion”.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), of which Serzh Sargsyan is the leader, approved his nomination for the prime minister’s post at a joint session held with the coalition Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) on Monday.

The Yelq parliamentarians initiated public demonstrations last week in protest against the third president’s nomination.

The parliamentary government model, which Armenia adopted in the wake of the 2015 constitutional referendum, expands the powers of Prime Minister, essentially reducing the President's functions.