Ara Zohrapyan: I Have Always Considered Armen Sarkissian a Motivated Supporter of Nikol Pashinyan

The President of the Bar Association, Ara Zohrapyan, made a Facebook post addressing the Armenian President's refusal to sign Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's proposal to dismiss the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

“Regarding the possible behavior of the President: If President Armen Sarkissian does not appeal to the Constitutional Court within three days of receiving the Prime Minister's position (not accepting the President's objections), then from the fourth day, the act regarding the dismissal of Onik Gasparyan will be considered legally effective (according to Article 139, Part 3 of the Constitution of Armenia).

In this situation, appealing to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the law on 'Military Service and Status of Servicemen' does not resolve the constitutional dispute that has arisen. This can be regarded as a manipulative action, replacing the real issue with another, a virtual one.

In fact, the President of the Republic should consider the following: The announcement has also been made by senior officers of the Armed Forces. Up to now, we have not seen armed units of the Armed Forces on the streets, which indicates that the Chief of Staff is not provoking conflicts and is trying to solve the real issue in a balanced manner.

If the President signs or, the same, does not sign the decree, giving it force, the actions of senior officers of the Armed Forces and other military personnel may be unpredictable. The full responsibility for the consequences falls on the President and the Prime Minister.

P.S. I have always considered President Armen Sarkissian a motivated supporter of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. President Armen Sarkissian can still appeal to the Constitutional Court.”