Opposition demonstrators march to protest the former president’s shift into the prime minister’s seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 16, 2018. Thousands of opposition supporters have blocked traffic in the Armenian capital over a recent change of government that the opposition sees as a move for the ex-president to stay in power. (Aram Kirakosyan, PAN Photo via AP) (Associated Press)
YEREVAN, Armenia — Thousands of opposition supporters have blocked traffic in the Armenian capital over a recent change of government that the opposition sees as a move by the ex-president to stay in power.
Serzh Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 until earlier this year when he stepped down because of term limits, is set to be approved as prime minister on Tuesday. The new system sees the president’s powers weakened and the prime minister taking a dominant role.
Armenia’s opposition views the move as Sargsyan’s attempt to stay in power indefinitely and has vowed to keep protesting around the clock.
Several thousand people blocked traffic Monday morning and camped on the streets. Some protesters began to build barricades with trash bins and benches.
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