YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that he will soon convene negotiations with parliamentary and non-parliamentary political forces to discuss the timing and conditions for early elections of parliament.

The PM made the statement at a meeting with the Armenian-American community in New York City, USA.

PM Pashinyan emphasized that initially there was a sentiment for these elections to take place until June of next year, but the state of waiting which exists among potential investors, who require long-term political recordings, as well as for making the economic environment more favorable, the elections should take place earlier in order for the economic restoration process to being sooner.

“Today the structure of our economy doesn’t give basis for any optimist, and we must change it. Today it is comprised from three main branches: one is agriculture, which doesn’t comply with modern conditions, the other is mining, which means the sale of national wealth, and the other is the gambling branch. In July, our economy recorded double-digit activity, and the reason for it was the football world cup. This structure isn’t favorable for us, and we want to transform Armenia from an agrarian, mining and gambling country into a high-tech country, which is our most important imperative, which stems from our security environment. Our government had done everything that depended on it during four months in order to keep the situation stable in the country, because this is the most important challenge of the post-revolution period, in which we succeeded.

Today our most important task is to attract new investments. With this purpose we are going for reforms in the tax code, establishment of an independent judiciary, maintenance of a stable political situation, for which we must hold early elections of parliament soon. With the results of the Yerevan City Council elections it is clear for everyone that early elections of parliament are unavoidable, and that the elections should take place as soon as possible,” the PM stressed.

The Prime Minister added that today the monopolies and corruption are defeated in Armenia, that the Yerevan City Council elections took place without corruption and without the interference of criminal elements. “Citizens were enabled to vote for whomever they wanted to, and eventually they voted for the revolution, early elections of parliament, free and happy Armenia. Today, money has no effect of election results, we will create tools in order for money to be used in politics not for vote buying, but for making what you have to say more accessible,” the PM said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan