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    Categories: 2021

Armenian President rejects prime minister motion to dismiss army chief

CGTN, China
Feb 27 2021
– CGTN

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on Saturday refused to approve Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's motion on dismissing the chief of the military's general staff.

"Summing up the viewpoints of lawyers and experts, it can be concluded that the draft decree is explicitly contradicting the constitution," a statement of the president's office said.

"The created situation is unprecedented and requires systemic and comprehensive solutions and cannot be resolved through frequent cadre changes without taking into account the existing state in the country," Sarkissian's office said, stressing that the president has returned the draft decree with objections.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday sacked the country's Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, accusing him of attempting a military coup.

Earlier on Thursday, Gasparyan, his deputies and dozens of top military commanders had signed a statement, demanding Pashinyan and his cabinet resign, the local Armenpress reported.

In the statement, the army said Pashinyan and the government are "no longer able to make reasonable decisions," adding that the government's "ineffective" administration and "serious mistakes in foreign policy" have led the country to the verge of destruction.

Pashinyan responded via Facebook that he considers the statement as an attempt at a military coup.

According to Armenian law, Gasparyan will officially be considered dismissed only after the president's approval.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency 
Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS