The former Mayor of Yerevan, Vahagn Garniki Khachaturyan, became the new President of Armenia, replacing Armen Sarkissian, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Thursday.

Khachaturyan failed to win enough votes in the first round, with 69 in favor. He was able to win 71 votes in the second round to secure leadership.

Opposition factions boycotted the election at the parliament, reports said.

He was the only candidate running, as the opposition parties said they would not nominate candidates.

The Armenian president is elected by the parliament in line with the country's constitution.

President Armen Sarkissian announced his resignation in January, citing a lack of necessary tools to fight the country's political problems.

Born in 1959, Khachaturyan served as the mayor of Yerevan between 1992-1996. He was then elected as a lawmaker and had served as the Ministry of High-Tech Industry under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's government.