Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on Thursday to dissolve the country’s government following the first session of the newly elected parliament earlier in the day, Armenian media reported.
The proposal for the cabinet’s resignation was submitted to the president by Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan in line with the country’s Constitution that stipulates formation of a new government after parliamentary elections.
Eight parties and one party alliance ran in Armenia’s May 6 parliamentary elections, with the Republican Party of Armenia eventually winning by gaining 44.05 percent of the vote and taking the majority of seats in the country's 131-seat parliament.
The Armenian president has now 10 days to name the new prime minister and endorse other new ministers. The current cabinet will continue in a caretaker role until then.
Opposition leaders contested the results of the May 6 elections and submitted a motion with the Supreme Court of Armenia, but the court rejected it on Thursday ruling that the results were fair.
This year’s elections in Armenia were marred by a tragic accident, when 144 people were injured after balloons filled with flammable gas caught fire at a Republican Party of Armenia rally in the capital on May 4.
The balloons were supposedly filled with helium, a non-flammable gas, but some other gas had been used instead, Armenian media reported.
