Armenia's turmoil deepened Wednesday as tens of thousands of people took to the streets after the opposition accused the ruling party of refusing to cede power following the resignation of veteran leader Serzh Sargsyan.

Protesters clapped, whistled, beat drums, banged pots and tooted car horns in demonstrations that underscored the political crisis gripping the impoverished former Soviet republic.

Many raised their hands in the air -- a sign that the protest movement led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian is peaceful -- and robed priests joined the rallies in an apparent attempt to prevent possible clashes.

Police did not intervene after abandoning attempts to clear central streets.

Led by 42-year-old Pashinian, thousands of demonstrators earlier in the day marched through Yerevan against the ruling Republican Party's unwillingness to facilitate the transfer of power after its leader and former president Sarkisian stood down Monday from his new post of prime minister.

Pashinian said late Wednesday he had met a Russian official and got reassurance that Moscow would not intervene in Armenia's political crisis.

"I had a meeting with an official from Moscow and got reassurance that Russia would not intervene in Armenia's internal affairs," Pashinyan told protesters gathered in Republic Square in central Yerevan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Armenian President Armen Sarkisian by phone earlier Wednesday and both men agreed that political forces in Armenia need to show restraint and be ready to solve a political crisis there via talks, the Kremlin said.

"Vladimir Putin and Armen Sarkisian underlined that all political forces in the country need to exercise restraint and responsibility and a readiness to solve existing problems via constructive dialogue strictly in the constitutional framework, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Russia -- which has a military base in Armenia -- said earlier in the day it was watching the situation "very closely" but reiterated that it would not interfere.

Demonstrators and observers warned the crisis could destabilize the Moscow-allied nation which has been involved in a decadeslong territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.

"There is a danger that riots, clashes could start if the Republicans do not leave in a calm manner," 40-year-old lawyer Ruzanna Vartanyan told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Stepan Grigoryan, a political analyst who joined the rallies, said it was a do-or-die situation, describing the current system as "criminal."

"The head has been chopped off," he said, referring to Sarkisian's resignation Monday, "but the body -- the Republican Party -- remains and it needs to be removed."

Pashinian, leader of the Civil Contract Party, had been due Wednesday to hold talks with acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan to discuss a "peaceful" power transfer. But the negotiations were canceled late Tuesday.

Pashinian accused the authorities of wanting to nominate a Republican Party candidate for prime minister, warning that the opposition would boycott snap parliamentary elections in that case.

Pashinian has insisted the new premier must be a "people's candidate" and not a member of Sargsyan's party, and told reporters he was himself willing to lead.

Karapetian said that if Pashinian was the people's choice, they could elect him. The economy would face problems if the crisis continued, he stressed.

Although thousands of people have taken to the streets and rallied behind him, political forces in parliament loyal to protest leader Pashinian hold only about 8 percent of seats. However, the second biggest party in parliament said on Wednesday it was joining the protest movement and would encourage its supporters to take to the streets.

Sargsyan, who previously served as Armenia's president for a decade, resigned as prime minister on Monday after almost two weeks of street protests prompted by accusations he had manipulated the constitution to cling to power.

Last week lawmakers voted for Sargsyan as prime minister after he served a decade as Armenia's president, triggering political turmoil in the Moscow-allied nation of 2.9 million people. The protests that began on April 13, center on the appointment of former President Sargsyan as prime minister, part of Armenia's transition to a governmental system that reduces the powers of the presidency and bolsters the premier's. Under the terms of an amended constitution approved in 2015 by a referendum, the presidency will become largely ceremonial. Controversial constitutional amendments approved in 2015 have transferred governing powers from the presidency to the premier.

The opposition said the move was designed to extend his grip on power under a new parliamentary system of government, with tens of thousands taking to the streets of the capital Yerevan and other cities in recent days in largely peaceful protests.