Armenian opposition protest leader nominated as PM candidate

Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the thousands-strong opposition protests that have been gripping Armenia since mid-April, has been officially nominated as a candidate for prime minister. He is the only candidate running, and needs to win the votes of 53 of the 105 members of Armenia’s National Assembly to get the job – which means he will need at least partial support from the ruling party. Pashinyan was a key figure in the weeks of street protests against former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s election as prime minister, which ultimately led to Sargsyan stepping down.