Pashinyan wants snap parliamentary polls under a new election law.
On Saturday, he called on supporters to continue protests and to organise big, non-violent demonstrations in the capital Yerevan, on 1 May.
Speaking at a rally in the town of Ijevan, Pashinyan said: "All protest actions, actions of civil disobedience, should be renewed with new force. The victory of the people must be recognised."
The ruling Republican party has 58 seats in the 105-seat parliament, so Pashinyan is unlikely to be elected without the party’s support. However, the second biggest party in the parliament, Prosperous Armenia, hinted it might support Pashinyan.
Meanwhile, the ruling Republican party has said it will not put up a candidate for prime minister as it attempts to ease tensions after more than two weeks of street protests.
Demonstrations against the party and official corruption forced Serzh Sargsyan, a former president, to resign as prime minister, on 23 April and the parliament is due to pick a new prime minister on 1 May.
While its majority in parliament means it should be able to choose who that is, the Republican party announced on Saturday it will not put forward its own candidate.
