Armenian protest leader calls for civil disobedience after being denied PM’s job

Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinyan has called on his supporters to launch a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience, after the ruling party blocked his bid in parliament to become the country’s prime minister. Pashinyan addressed a crowd of tens of thousands in the capital Yerevan, urging people to go on a general strike and to block roads, railway stations and airports, starting from Wednesday morning. Protests have been ongoing across Armenia since mid-April, when long-time president, Serzh Sargsyan, was nominated for the role of prime minister, which became the top position in the country after a constitutional reform. Sargsyan was appointed PM by the parliament on April 17 but was forced to resign under public pressure less than a week later.