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Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   29 March 2024

President Armen Sarkissian highlights constitutional settlement for ongoing political crisis

President Armen Sarkissian highlights constitutional settlement for ongoing political crisis

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. The current situation in Armenia has only one option for settlement – within the framework of the Constitution. There are no other, and cannot be any other ways, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said in an interview to ONT – All-National Television of Belarus.

“All of us must respect the Constitution. And the Constitution clearly says – there is only one high level – the parliament – where the country’s Prime Minister must be elected. Not on the streets, not during rallies or in any other building, all disagreements must be settled in the parliament building. Whoever gets elected Prime Minister, I, as head of state, will sign the order on appointing the given person as Prime Minister, if of course no violations of constitution happen in the election process,” the Armenian President said. 

In response to the journalist’s question on what kind of a solution he sees for the problem, President Sarkissian said: “There is only one way – the constitutional [way], there are no other ways and there can’t be. No one can and shouldn’t open the Pandora’s box, the box when people will start not respecting the constitution. If this happens once, the second, third precedents will follow”.

Speaking about the causes of the ongoing developments in Armenia, the President emphasized that it is a complex issue and isn’t simple.

President Armen Sarkissian stressed that any change which is done on the scale of the country is very sensitive. “There are foreign and domestic effects, social injustice, corruption. The young people wanted to have a better understanding about their future. I believe this is a complex issue, which was formed because of the absence of dialogue between the government and the people during many years, and it came out of its limits in terms of emotions at this moment”, he said.

The President stressed that holding elections in the country – be it parliamentary or presidential, act as a focal point for any process, emotions and complaints get a chance for self expression.

“I believe our case was like this. Political reforms of this scale aren’t done easily in any country. Even in most developed and stable countries any political reform or change aren’t easy. Look at Great Britain and Brexit. It isn’t easy at all,” the President said.

 

On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. 

On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned.

First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting.

Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan – leader of the opposition – on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament.

On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties.

Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party – the Republican Party of Armenia – HHK – said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament – urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans.

An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the party’s president.

The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1.

“In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliament’s rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law,” Speaker Ara Babloyan said.

According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament.

The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan.

On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election.

The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed “the people’s candidate”.

On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1.

On April 30 the opposition Yelk faction officially nominated Pashinyan for the upcoming PM election.  The three other factions – the HHK, Tsarukyan, and ARF, announced they will not nominate a candidate.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan

 








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