Statement of the '5165 Movement' Regarding Armen Sarkissian's Resignation

The '5165 Movement' has issued a statement regarding Armen Sarkissian's resignation from the position of President of the Republic of Armenia.

“We assess Armen Sarkissian’s resignation from the presidency as an escape from responsibility and demand an open and substantiated explanation for the real motives behind his decision. It is unacceptable that avoiding accountability under the circumstances of dangerous developments facing the country becomes a norm, especially considering that the state is under the control of an incompetent political group acting against national interests.

We assume that the reasons for this unexpected decision are hidden in macro-regional, even global transformations and the dangerous developments awaiting Armenia as a result, circumstances of which Armen Sarkissian is well aware, given his sufficient political and diplomatic experience and extensive connections with various actors in international politics.

The fact that Armen Sarkissian resigned from the presidency of the Republic of Armenia on a day off and was not physically present in Armenia raises at least some puzzlement, considering his justification that the President of the Republic does not have the necessary tools to affect the radical processes of internal and external policy in the current complex times for the country and nation.

We must note that no less radical processes were occurring for the country and nation in the autumn of 2020, and the presidential powers were the same as today; nevertheless, Armen Sarkissian did not resign at that time. In our opinion, the position of the President of the Republic could have been used in favor of the national interests of Armenia not only by exercising at least limited powers but also by speaking out as a president, addressing the people, warning about dangerous developments, and evaluating the actions of the current authorities regarding the policy conducted in at least the last year and a half, which, unfortunately, we have not witnessed.

Thus, Armen Sarkissian has had ample opportunities to speak, yet he has remained silent during this time. Now he merely hints at the dangerous developments in foreign and internal policy but suffices with prior warnings and does not mention the content of the dangers, the sources of their origin, or the incapacity or unwillingness of the current authorities to confront them.

Armen Sarkissian’s resignation might be logical if the constitution providing for a system of checks and balances he mentioned had already been adopted. Therefore, again considering the arguments for his resignation as unsubstantiated and assessing the resignation as an unacceptable escape from responsibility, we demand clear, open, and comprehensive explanations from him regarding his decision.”