Armen Sarkissyan is no longer President of Armenia. In his resignation, he criticized limited powers.
Yerevan – Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissyan has surprisingly announced his resignation. After much deliberation, he decided to resign after about four years as President of the Republic, the Armenpress agency quoted the 68-year-old as saying on Sunday evening in the capital Yerevan.
Armenia: President Sarkissian resigns
“This is absolutely not an emotional decision, but corresponds to a certain logic,” it said. In his statement, he referred to the head of state’s limited powers. The president “does not have the necessary instruments to influence the fundamental processes of domestic and foreign policy in the difficult period for the country,” said Sarkissian.
The President had criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, especially in the course of the war over Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. The ex-Soviet republic lost control of large parts of the region in autumn 2020. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, celebrated a victory. At the time, Sarkissian criticized the fact that he had not been included in the negotiations. He later expressed objections to Pashinyan’s reappointment of the Armenian military leadership. Sarkissian was also Prime Minister of Armenia in his political career.
Armenia: Sarkissian calls for constitutional changes
The president also said of the reasons for his resignation: “In these difficult times for our state, in which national unity is required, the institution of the president should not become the object of gossip and conspiracy theories.” It was initially unclear who would become Sarkissyan’s successor . Overall, he hopes that the constitution will be amended accordingly soon, he added. “So that the next president and the next presidential administration will be able to operate in a more balanced environment.”
Former physics professor Sarkissian held the office of prime minister in 1996 and 1997. Sarkisskan recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates. As a result, his office announced that the President was taking time off for medical examinations. Details were not given. (dpa/afp)
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