Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday that he would submit another request to President Armen Sarkissian to seek the dismissal of Armed Forces' General Staff Chief Onik Gasparyan
YEREVAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th February, 2021) Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday that he would submit another request to President Armen Sarkissian to seek the dismissal of Armed Forces' General Staff Chief Onik Gasparyan.
Earlier in the day, Sarkissian turned down Gasparyan's dismissal, saying that Pashinyan's request to fire the military chief contradicted the country's constitution.
"Dear compatriots, the president has decided to return with rejections to the prime minister's office the draft of the decree on the resignation of the armed force's general staff chief. This decision has not promoted the settlement of the current situation. I will again, in due course, convey a request to the president for the resignation of the general staff chief, waiting for his signature," Pashinyan said.
A political crisis erupted in Yerevan after the deputy chief of the Armenian general staff mocked Pashinyan's controversial comment about the alleged failure of Russian-supplied Iskander missiles during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. This triggered a series of military dismissals. The armed forces issued a statement demanding the resignation of Pashinyan himself, the prime minister regarded this as an attempted coup and called on his supporters to take to the streets. Meanwhile, the opposition activists set up a tent camp near the parliament and called on the prime minister to step down.
