Internal Political Tensions in Armenia Shift from Streets to Parliament: President

The President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, believes that after the snap parliamentary elections held on June 20, the "tensions in the streets" have decreased and shifted to the legislative body. In an interview with Kirill Vishinsky, Sarkissian stated, "Indeed, after the cessation of hostilities and the start of the ceasefire, we experienced a crisis situation for some time. We are grateful to Russia. But internal processes began, which became a source of instability in the country."

According to the President, he explained to various political forces, the Prime Minister, and his party that in a normal, stable, democratic country—such as Armenia aspires to become—such situations are resolved through elections. Sarkissian clarified that his proposal was more systemic, as he believes that Armenia needs to amend its unbalanced constitution, which lacks sufficient checks and balances.

He noted that his proposal has been partially accepted, and elections have taken place. "I am glad for this; we have had long discussions with the Prime Minister. The elections were held, and we can basically say that the tensions in the streets have sharply eased. In other words, that tension has moved to the Parliament," he said.