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Armenia to elect new parliament in April

Xinhua, December 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan Thursday signed a decree setting April 2nd, 2017 as the date for the country's parliamentary elections, announced the press service of the Armenian presidency.

Following the constitutional changes of December 6 of 2015, Armenia will elect a new parliament as it starts its transition from a semi-presidential republic to a parliamentary system. The new constitution is expected to enter into force in April of 2018 when the 2nd term of incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan will have expired.

According to the new Electoral Code, Armenia's new parliament will comprise of up to 100 members instead of the current 131, with a possibility for a run-off between the top two parties garnering the most votes. In the case no political party reaches a majority, a second stage of elections will be held with the top two parties after the first round as contestants.

In the run up to the referendum on the constitutional changes on December 6, 2015, President Sargsyan had announced that if the new parliamentary system of governance was adopted, he would not seek another term as prime minister nor in any other leading government post.

However, in an interview later in 2016, when asked whether he'd seek the post of prime minister once the constitutional changes entered into force, Sargsyan declined to elaborate, saying it was too early for such conversations. Enditem.