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Armenian opposition leader Pashinyan to meet PM Sarkisian

Sunday, 22 April 2018 1:10 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 22 April 2018 1:13 AM ]

Armenian President Armen Sarkisian (L) speaks with an opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan (R) during a rally in central Yerevan on April 21, 2018, held to protest the former president's election as prime minister. (Photo by AFP)

Armenian opposition protests leader Nikol Pashinyan has announced that he will meet with Prime Minister and ex-president Serzh Sarkisian following nine days of widespread protests in the country.

"I will meet Serzh Sarkisian to discuss the conditions of his resignation and of (a) peaceful transfer of power," said Pashinyan in a video posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.

He added that the meeting was set for Yerevan's Marriott hotel 0600 GMT.

Earlier in the day, Pashinyan said that he would only speak with Sarkisian to negotiate his exiting from power.

"We are only ready to discuss the conditions of his departure,” Pashinyan said, adding, “This won't be a dialogue, as I already said, we do not want vendetta and we wish to secure the transfer of power to the people while avoiding shock as much as possible.”

Pashinyan earlier laid out main conditions for talks that could resolve the widening political dispute. He called Sargsyan, 63, who has served a decade as president, a “political corpse.”

PressTV-70 arrested as protests continue in Armenia

The national security service said two of those arrested had been suspected of planning bomb attacks.

Thousands demonstrated in the capital Yerevan on Saturday to press with their demands for the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan as Armenia’s new prime minister. Sargsyan was elected as premier last week in what many see as an attempt to make the former president Armenia's leader for life. He would have extended powers in the new post based on changes approved to the constitution three years ago.

Some estimated that around 30,000 people demonstrated in the capital on Saturday, a high since protests erupted on April 13. Police had detained 11 people as of morning local time while protesters said they would defy police bans and block the main roads to prepare the situation for big rallies later in the day. Similar protests have been planned in other cities, including in Gyumri, Ararat and Artashat.

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