Arthur Vanetsyan on Armen Sarkissian's Resignation

The opposition political forces are likely to discuss Armen Sarkissian's resignation and the possibility of nominating a presidential candidate in the near future. This was stated by Arthur Vanetsyan, the leader of the 'I Have Honor' parliamentary faction and former head of the NSS, in an interview with the Russian TASS agency on Sunday evening.

“It is still too early to talk about the likelihood of the opposition nominating a presidential candidate. In the coming days, political parties are likely to hold consultations and discuss the steps to be taken in this direction. When and if a unified approach is formed within the opposition, we will keep the public informed and move on to public discussions on this issue,” said Vanetsyan.

Evaluating Armen Sarkissian's tenure, the opposition figure noted that the president was not involved in the process of resolving the crucial issues facing the country. “It is difficult to assess the resignation of a person occupying the highest office who, being the head of state according to the constitution, did not fulfill his functions and did not participate in the resolution of issues confronting the state and the people,” stated Vanetsyan.

The former NSS head commented on Sarkissian's resignation statement, adding that “hiding behind the formulation of a lack of competencies, the former president essentially avoided taking responsibility at critical moments for the country.”

“The potential reasons for Armen Sarkissian's resignation have nothing to do with the interests of the Armenian people or the state, and I see no point in interpreting personal motives,” he added.