Ruling party to elect parliament speaker in secret ballot, Pashinyan says

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Thursday that the ruling Civil Contract party will convene to elect the next parliament speaker in a secret ballot.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pashinyan said party members will hear from candidates, pose questions, exchange views and then cast confidential votes to determine the winner. “I will cast my vote in a secret ballot, as will my colleagues,” he noted, underscoring the internal nature of the decision-making process.

Pashinyan declined to publicly endorse any candidate, stressing that the outcome will be disclosed once the party finalizes its choice. He also ruled out reshuffling the cabinet, though he acknowledged that changes may occur at other levels of the executive branch.