Armen Sarkissian behaved like Pontius Pilate – ARF-D member blasts president’s inaction over sacking army chief

With his failure to apply to the Constitutional Court to dispute the prime ministerial decree for dismissing the army chief, Armen Sarkissian demonstrated a behavior typical of Pontius Pilate, Artsvik Minasyan of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) said today, criticizing the president’s inaction as the “most bitter reality”.

“He could have done it just a day ago by disputing the illegal proposal for dismissing Onik Gasparyan from office. But he opted for ‘wahing his hands’ and is now making thunderous statements that he has applied to the Court to dispute the legal provision,” he told reporters during a protest action in Yerevan’s Demirchyan Street.

Meantime the politician admitted that the president’s appeal “cannot offer any solution in a tense situation as this”.

“The situation, provoked by Armen Sarkissian and [Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinyan, leads to an obvious and absolute decline. The General Headquarters of the Armed Forces is the only legitimate institution guaranteeing the territorial integrity, border immunity and defense of the Republic of Armenia. Obviously it was the imperfect regulation of the laws that provoked a dispute, causing the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces, the chief of the General Headquarters and the top military command to stay in their places and refrain guiding themselves by the cabinet chief's desire,” he added.

Noting that Pashinyan himself will be the one to face responsibility for any confrontation, Minasyan said he expects only his resignation to offer a smooth way out of the current crisis to pave way to future negotiations. He called for active efforts by the ruling parliamentary bloc towards calling a special National Assembly session to lift the martial law and impeach the prime minister.

“This country, after all, belongs to all of us, so no guidance by political, group, small and narrow thinking is permitted. This is not a fight for power or a seat [in government]. It’s all about the fatherland’s salvation, where participation by all of us is necessary,” he said.

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