Armenia’s Velvet Revolution – World Countries for Kids
Before the 2018 Velvet Revolution a change of government in Armenia seemed most unlikely. Opposition to president Serzh Sargsyan’s government had been progressively growing, escalating in light of the announcement on 12 April that he would run for the post of prime minister, having served two terms as president. Four years earlier, Sargsyan had promised that he would not try to get the position of Prime Minister’. A constitutional referendum that his party held two years after he won the presidency in 2013, nonetheless, appeared intended at ensuring precisely that. Amendments to the constitution ensured by this referendum would have changed the Armenian governance system from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system. That would have let Sargsyan to bypass the two-term limit for serving as the nation’s president, and continue leading the country as PM.
Sargsyan’s backtrack triggered outrage, and ignited the fuse of the protests that would end up in his ouster, with ‘the people’s candidate’ Nikol Pashinyan elected PM by parliament on 8 May, less than two months after Sargsyan’s bid for the position. Leaders and participants of the movement attributed its unparalleled success to the use of innovative and unique tactics that brought together not just civil society and political parties, but tens of thousands of people across the nation, in a movement that put ordinary citizens in power.
There is absolutely no doubt that the Armenian Velvet Revolution of 2018 was a grand success. As a result of the revolution, Serzh Sargsyan was forced to step down, and opposition leader Pashinyan was appointed as the new PM. On April 13th, 2018, a large-scale anti-government protest broke out in Armenia. Tens of thousands of citizens took part in the opposition to former President Serzh Sargsyan’s candidacy for the post of prime minister. However, the parliament ignored the protests and elected Sargsyan as prime minister of the new government on the 17th. On the very same day, the protest leader Pashinyan announced the start of the “Velvet Revolution”.
The election of Sargsyan as PM ignited public outrage, and public protests continued to rise. On the 22nd April alone, 227 protesters were arrested. On April 23rd, the new PM, who was elected less than a week ago, was forced to resign. On May 1st, the parliament held a special meeting for the election of the PM. As the then ruling party, the Republican Party of Armenia, had a majority in the parliament, the opposition leader Pashinyan received mere 45 votes and lost the election. Now the demonstrators blocked roads, highways and airports. On the 2nd, the Republican representative said that he would not recommend the Republican PM candidate and instead support the candidate nominated by 1/3rd of the congressmen. On the 8th, the Armenian Parliament carried out the election once again. In the election, the opposition leader Pashinyan, as the lone candidate, won the election with 59 votes in favour and 42 votes against.