Political crisis in Armenia must have constitutional solution – president
The current political crisis in Armenia must be resolved only and exclusively within the frameworks of the Constitution, President Armen Sarkissian said in an interview to the Belarus State Television.
“We all must have respect for the Constitution. And what the Constitution implies is there is one high level, i.e. - that of the parliament, [the body responsible] for electing the prime minister. So any kind of disagreement must be settled inside the parliament, not in the streets or at rallies. I personally will approve anyone who is constitutionally elected a prime minister by signing a decree,” he added.
Armenia's National Assembly is to elect a new prime minister at a special session on Tuesday.
So far, only Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the opposition faction Yelk (Way Out), appears to be the only possible candidate. After almost two weeks of public protests culminating in Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation, the opposition MP said he would be the “people’s candidate” enjoying an overwhelming support. Among the political forces represented in parliament, only the (Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D), the ruling Republican Party’s former coalition partner,has expressed support to Pashinyan. No other political forces nominated candidates after the Republican’s spokesperson, Eduard Sharmazanov, said they would not aspire to have their person in the top government office.
Armenia’s amended Constitution, adopted in the wake of the 2015 referendum, essentially expands the prime minister's authority, reducing the president’s role to a ceremonial status.
Asked to comment on the reasons behind the political crisis, Sarkissian attributed it to both internal and external factors. He also cited the economic situation in the country, social injustice and corruption as serious concern that forced Serzh Sargsyan out of office.
“The youth wanted to have a clearer vision of the future. I think this kind of complex issue emerged due to an absence of a dialogue between the government and the people for so many years, and that cause the situation to spiral out of control emotionally at the moment,” he noted.
The president said he treats any kind of elections (whether parliamentary or presidential) as a key moment in any political process. “Political reforms of this caliber are not easily achieved in any country. Not even in the most developed and sustainable countries,” Sarkissian added.
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