People’s victory must be recognised with no ifs and no buts - leader of protests in Armenia

Niсol Pashinyan, a deputy and leader of the protests in Armenia, held a victory rally in Yerevan.

“From now on, we have a new government in Armenia,” he said from the rostrum.

During the rally, Pashinyan told people about his detention by the Armenian National Security Service. According to Pashinyan, he tried to joke with them, tried to explain that Serzh Sargsyan’s time in power was coming to an end, but officers did not react. However, when senior officials started to visit Pashinyan in the detention centre, he realised that a significant change was in progress.

“In the morning, they asked me whether I would go with Sargsyan’s resignation in October. Two hours later, they promised he would leave office within a month, then – on April, 25. Having heard out all their proposals, I voiced my demand – ‘Serzh Sargsyan must resign within two hours’, and it happened,” Pashinyan said.

On Tuesday, opposition politicians are expected to discuss the delegation of power with Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.

“If Serzh Sargsyan and the Republican Party of Armenia hope for staying in the shadow power, I urge them to forget about it,” Nicol Pashinyan stressed.

On Monday Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced his resignation after a wave of protests across the country. He is leaving after protests which started on April, 13.

On April 9, the newly elected president Armen Sarkissian dismissed the government. When the presidential term of the previous leader of the country ended, the amended text of the Constitution came into force. According to it, Armenia becomes a parliamentary republic, and power will be concentrated in the hands of a government, not a president. But the ruling coalition’s decision to nominate Serzh Sargsyan, who had already been a two-term president in the period of 2008-2018, as Prime Minister triggered a wave of protests.

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belsat.eu, following news.am. Photo: REUTERS / Hayk Baghdasaryan / Photolure / FORUM