AKIPRESS.COM - Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan has failed in his bid to become interim prime minister, BBC reports.

After a day of debate in parliament, he failed to garner enough votes despite being the only candidate for the post.

After the vote, he urged tens of thousands of supporters gathered in the capital Yerevan to begin a campaign of civil disobedience.

He called for a general strike to be launched on Wednesday morning, with roads, railways and airports blocked.

Mr Pashinyan, 42, has led weeks of anti-government rallies that forced former PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign.

He had earlier warned MPs of a "political tsunami" if they did not back him.