The ruling party in Armenia announced on Saturday that it will not nominate a new candidate for the position of prime minister to replace Serzh Sarkisian, less than a week after he stepped down from his position following days of mass protests. "The Republican Party has decided not to nominate its candidate," said Eduard Sharmazanov, vice speaker of parliament and the ruling partys spokesman. "By not putting forward a candidate, we will avoid confrontation and an increase in security risks ... we are not putting anyone forward in the states interest," he added. The party will wait until all candidates are nominated by April 30 and then decide who to back. Ex-Soviet Armenia has been in the grip of a severe political crisis for the past two weeks with the protest movement charging that Sarkisians ruling Republican Party is clinging to power. It was not immediately clear whether the ruling party -- which has a majority of seats in parliament -- would back the head of the protest movement, Nikol Pashinyan, or another candidate. Sharmazanov said earlier he personally doubted Pashinyan was a suitable candidate for the top job. The ruling party said earlier it would announce its position on a May 1 vote to elect the countrys next prime minister on Monday. The Prosperous Armenia Party, which holds 31 seats in the 105-member chamber, was expected Saturday to issue a statement on whether it would back Pashinyan. Political analysts say the party, led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, has expressed support for Pashinyan but some of its members say they will only back the partys leader as a candidate. Observers fear the turmoil could destabilize the Moscow-allied nation which has for decades been locked in a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan. Sarkisian resigned this week as the countrys new prime minister after serving as president for a decade. Pashinyan has issued an ultimatum to the authorities, saying that he should be elected the next prime minister -- who holds the countrys top job under a parliamentary system of government. He however does not have enough votes to get elected. Moscow has urged compromise and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week spoke by phone with the interim head of government, stressing the importance of the upcoming election. On Friday, acting head of government Karen Karapetyan refused to hold talks with the protest leader, accusing him of promoting his own agenda and worsening the crisis in the poor country of 2.9 million people. Addressing supporters in his birthplace Ijevan in Armenias bucolic north earlier Saturday, Pashinyan pledged equal rights and opportunities for all, saying the country had turned a new page after Sarkisian quit power. "Every citizen will have equal rights and opportunities," he told supporters. "From now on people will not be judged by who their acquaintances, friends and relatives are." He also said he was ready to meet with members of the ruling party to discuss a "peaceful transfer of power." He also called for more demonstrations. "All protest actions, actions of civil disobedience, should be renewed with new force. The victory of the people must be recognized," he told the rally in Ijevan. "There can be no violence." Pashinyan called on supporters to organize big demonstrations in Yerevan on May 1. Over the past two days, the 42-year-old has received a heros welcome in a number of towns and villages outside the capital Yerevan, driving around the landlocked South Caucasus country with his supporters in a convoy. In the small northern town of Dilijan earlier in the day, several hundred locals greeted Pashinyan, holding flags and beating drums. "We want change in Armenia and Pashinyan to be elected prime minister right away," said Arman Ovsepyan, a 43-year-old musician. "If the Republicans refuse to leave power, we will force them to do so peacefully."