The Statement by the General Staff Has an Obvious Political Context: Andranik Kocharyan

Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly, believes that the statement made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister and the government, has an obvious political context.

“The Prime Minister of Armenia, who is performing the duties of the Supreme Commander under conditions of martial law, sees a statement from the Armed Forces that has an obvious political subtext. The army can have an external enemy, but it cannot have an internal enemy. Once, during the political processes on March 1, the army was brought in, and we still haven’t come out from under that shadow. The army should be kept away from politics; it should be engaged in the defense of the external borders and fulfill its main functions, which also include maintaining the ceasefire regime,” stated Andranik Kocharyan during a briefing with journalists today.

He noted that the war has not yet ended and that we are in a fragile ceasefire regime. “What did Mr. Onik Gasparyan do?” Kocharyan asked. The deputy also mentioned that he did not expect such a statement from Onik Gasparyan. He finds it incomprehensible that the dismissal of the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff could serve as a reason for such a statement.