Armenia’s leader steps down
Sarkisian resigns amid mass protests against him elected as PM
YEREVAN: Armenia’s veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian resigned after mass protests against his election as prime minister with sweeping powers, sparking celebrations across the impoverished country.
Last week lawmakers voted for Sarkisian as prime minister after he served a decade as Armenia’s president, triggering political turmoil in the Moscow-allied nation of 2.9 million people.
The opposition said the move was designed to extend his chokehold on power under a new parliamentary system of government, with tens of thousands taking to the streets of the capital Yerevan and other cities in recent days in largely peaceful protests.
On Monday evening, the health ministry said one demonstrator, a 36-year-old man, died of heart failure after a celebratory rally in Yerevan.
“Our velvet revolution has won but this is only the first step,” protest leader Nikol Pashinyan told supporters at the rally in Yerevan’s Republic Square.
“Our revolution cannot stop halfway and I am hoping that you will persevere until the final victory.”
The 42-year-old leader of the Civil Contract party said he would meet with the acting head of government, Karen Karapetyan, today to discuss the transfer of power.
Pashinyan – who was hurt in the protests last week and sported a
bandaged hand – said parliament would have to elect a new prime minister “within a week” and new parliamentary elections were also in the cards.
Earlier in the day, the 63-year-old Sarkisian – who previously refused to step down – stunned the country
by saying he was in the wrong and resigning.
“I am leaving the post of the country’s leader,” Sarkisian was quoted as saying by his office.
“Nikol Pashinyan was right,” he said. “I was wrong.”
Sarkisian implied that there were
several ways to resolve the crisis and that he could have used force to break up protests but chose not to.
“This is not in my nature,” he added.
Sarkisian quit after a number of serving and former soldiers joined the protests. — AFP