Armenian president calls for early elections as way out of political crisis
YEREVAN. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Division in Armenian society could have catastrophic consequences, which can be prevented through early parliamentary elections, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said.
"The only logical and civilized prescription is off-year elections in reasonable terms with necessary amendments to the Electoral Code and Constitution, which will allow to start the real process of state building from scratch," Sarkissian said in an article entitled "Towards the 'Fourth Republic,'" published by the presidential press service on Monday.
"Until then, a government of national accord must be formed with the help of the institute of the president," he said.
"I see the main mission of that government in achieving three goals," Sarkissian said. He listed these goals as eliminating the immediate consequences of the war, creating and implementing a roadmap to bring the country out of its political and economic crisis, and reforming the normative and legal framework with the aim of creating the necessary conditions for holding elections within a reasonable timeframe.
The Armenian opposition has been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan since November 2020, when he signed a trilateral statement on Nagorno-Karabakh together with the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan. The statement resulted in the transfer of several districts in the area to Azerbaijan.