Armenian parliament dissolved, early election set for Dec. 9

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's president on Thursday dissolved parliament and called an early election, a political maneuver intended to unseat the current parliament majority.

President Armen Sarkisian's move is in sync with acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's efforts to unseat his foes in parliament. Sarkisian set the early election for Dec. 9.

Pashinian took office in May after spearheading weeks of protests that forced the resignation of his predecessor, but his political opponents retained a majority in parliament. Last month, Pashinian announced his resignation, saying that an early vote is needed "to return the power to the people.