Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian wants to weaken his predecessor's party in the parliament and cement his leadership. He took over as prime minister in May after weeks of leading anti-corruption protests.
Pashinian, a former journalist, is hoping the My Step Alliance, which includes his Civil Contract Party, will achieve a parliamentary majority ahead of the former ruling Republican Party. Polls show that the alliance is on course to easily win a majority.
The star of the country's protest movement on Sunday praised the vote as "really free, transparent and democratic," reported state media.
"Our main goal was to achieve democracy, which we succeeded in," Pashinian told reporters, according to the Armenpress state news agency.
Pashinian and his followers accused Sargsyan of trying to cling to power by becoming prime minister after serving two terms as president. A 2015 constitutional amendment had shifted powers from the presidency to the prime minister's office.
Since entering office, Pashinian has targeted senior Sargsyan associates while the former prime minister has kept a low profile.
Pashinian, 43, vows to maintain Armenia's close military and economic ties to Russia. The former Soviet republic hosts a Russian military base and is highly dependent on Russian loans and trade.
Armenia’s PM resigns
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He also pledges to continue the previous government's support for ethnic Armenian forces that control Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region of neighboring Azerbaijan.
That pledge is likely to maintain Armenia's isolation. Azerbaijan and neighboring Turkey closed their borders and cut trade ties to Armenia in response to its supportive policy.
Armenia: How public protests forced PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan stepped down on April 23 after thousands of people took to the streets to protest his rule. What sparked this public outrage and how is Russia viewing this political change?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/A. Geodakyan
Sargsyan steps down
Serzh Sargsyan, who ruled Armenia for 10 years, tendered his resignation after widespread public demonstrations against his attempts to hold onto power. The Armenian government named former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian, an ally of Sargsyan, as acting premier.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M. Metzel
An unpopular move
The protests were sparked by Sargsyan's move to extend his rule. The 63-year-old was president of Armenia from 2008 until a term limit forced him out in March. But the parliament, which is controlled by ruling Republican Party, installed him as prime minister in April and curbed the powers of the president.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/PAN/D. Abrahamyan
Massive anti-government protests
The shift to a strengthened parliamentary triggered massive anti-government protests in the capital of Yerevan on April 13, with thousands of people participating in rolling demonstrations against Sargsyan. Hundreds of Armenian soldiers also joined the protests.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/A. Geodakyan
Clinging to power
The parliament's move to keep Sargsyan in power echoed a maneuver by Russian President Vladimir Putin a decade ago. Leaders in several former Soviet republics have used similar methods to remain in power.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Metzel
Acting prime minister
Acting PM Karapetian too has close ties with Russia. He worked in Russia for five years as a senior executive of state-controlled gas giant Gazprom.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/T. Mehrabyan
Jubilation
Protesters in the capital Yerevan took to the streets to celebrate Sargsyan's resignation. A day after Sargsyan stepped down, the country's opposition called for a meeting with the caretaker prime minister to discuss a "peaceful transfer of power." In this photo, opposition leader Nikol Pashinian (R) is seen in a meeting with Sargsyan on April 22, urging him to step down.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/A. Geodakyan
A blow to Russia's foreign policy
Russia, Armenia's closest ally, said on April 24 that it was not concerned about the political situation in Yerevan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he did not regard Armenia's political tumult as a Ukraine-style revolt against pro-Russia politicians. However, according to analysts, Sargsyan's resignation has unsettled Russian interests in Armenia.
Image: picture-alliance/Sputnik/S. Guneev
Back to the streets
After talks with acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan were cancelled, Pashinian and his supporters took to the streets again on April 25 to demand parliament choose a "people's candidate" who di not come from the ruling Republican Party.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Geodakyan
Parliament votes for new premier
Armenia's parliament will vote for a new premier on May 1. Pashinian has said he is prepared to be a candidate, but it is unclear if he will get support. The ruling Republican Party holds a majority in parliament.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/A. Geodakyan
Pashinian is the sole candidate for the post of prime minister
As Nikol Pashinian's supporters staged further protests on April 29, the ruling Republican Party which holds a majority in parliament said it would not put forward a candidate for prime minister to stand against Pashinian. The party would not "impede the election of the people's candidate" if all three opposition factions voted for him, leader Vahram Baghdasaryan said.
Image: Reuters/G. Garanich
Nikol Pashinian - deal maker
Short of six votes, Pashinian met with other political leaders in parliament on April 30. "We are facing the task of resolving the political crisis in the country," he said. "If a prime minister is not elected tomorrow, this crisis will not disappear." The vote in parliament for a new prime minister was scheduled for May 1.
