I Will Not Hold a Leadership Position in Armenia Under Any Circumstances - Serzh Sargsyan

In an interview with ArmNews, Armenia's third President Serzh Sargsyan stated, "I have never distanced myself from big politics; I have been involved in it for the past 30 years."

He added, "I believe that I have completed my service in high positions within the state system. I have finished; of course, many will say, but in 2015 you also said you wouldn’t be Prime Minister—that's a different conversation, a different topic for an interview. But I say what is true, and under no circumstances will I hold a leadership position in Armenia."

Sargsyan continued, "I can serve as an advisor to any official, a counselor, but not more. My statement doesn’t mean I am preparing to withdraw from active politics, and it doesn’t mean that the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) will lose its influence in the political arena. I will remain active, the RPA will be even more active, and if elections are held without a capitulator, we will participate actively."

The third president believes that the government's decision to abandon the idea of early elections is not final. "Of course, it is not a final decision. If a person can falsify an entire war, how much does it cost to lie or to rig elections? Elections are not more important than a war," Sargsyan noted.