Reuters Artem Mikryukov
Armenian President Armen Sargsyan held a meeting today, Friday, with a delegation from the opposition, with the aim of discussing the latest developments in the country, which is going through a new round of political crisis.
The Russian “Novosti” agency quoted one of the representatives of the opposition, former head of the National Security Service, Artur Vanitsyan, as saying that the President of the Republic assured the opposition of his intention to continue consultations regarding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s request to dismiss Chief of Staff Onik Gasparyan.
Vanitsyan stated that Sargsyan has not made a final decision in this regard yet, despite reports that the President of the Republic decided not to sign this decision and return it to Pashinyan.
The opposition indicated that the President of the Republic is expected to hold a meeting with the Chief of Staff at a later time in the day.
Both Sarghisian and Pashinyan’s offices denied reports that the President of the Republic had returned the aforementioned decision to the Prime Minister.
These developments come against the backdrop of the worsening political crisis in Armenia, where the General Staff demanded the resignation of the Pashinyan government yesterday, in response to the prime minister’s decision to dismiss the First Deputy Chief of Staff, Tiran Khachaturian, after reports that this official laughed at Pashinyan’s words about the ineffectiveness of the missiles. Iskander-M is a Russian-made Armenian army.
On the other hand, Pashinyan described the statement of the General Staff as an attempted military coup, and announced the dismissal of the Chief of Staff Gasparyan, but this decision will not enter into force unless it is approved by the President of the Republic.
Pashinyan stressed yesterday that Sargsian’s refusal to sign this decision would be tantamount to “joining the revolutionaries,” calling on the Chief of Staff at the same time to leave his post voluntarily.
Popular demonstrations in support of and against Pashinyan continue in the capital Yerevan.
Source: RIA Novosti + Sputnik – Armenia
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