Armenia: details of ex-PM’s resignation made known one year later

The speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, has spoken out about the negotiations held with the county’s former authorities one year ago.

On his Facebook page, he presented the details of the day Serzh Sargsyan resigned.

• Armenian Prime Minister Sargsyan resigns, opposition supporters celebrate

Different terms for Sargsyan’s resignation

Revolution leaders Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Sasun Mikaelyan were detained on 22 April. Talks were held with them right up until the moment of Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation.

Ararat Mirzoyan said that different terms were put forward for Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation.

Negotiations were first held separately with all the detainees, but they were equally unshakable.

“In the morning Karen Karapetyan came in. He asked if I believed that he also wanted whats best for Armenia. I replied [in the affirmative]. He said let’s go, let’s talk together. He conveyed Serzh Sargsyan’s readiness to resign in the autumn, after La Francophonie [ed. La Francophonie summit in Armenia was scheduled for October 2018], which we rejected with a smile.

“He went, spoke with them, returned and suggested, as far as I remember, that Sargsyan resign in May or June. I answered that was impossible. He again went, spoke with them, came back and suggested 25 April. We asked them to leave us alone. We discussed [the issue], and unanimously decided ‘no’,” writes Mirzoyan.

Mirzoyan says the revolution leaders demanded the resignation of Sargsyan within 2-3 hours. After a meeting, Karen Karapetyan said that the Prime Minister was ready to resign:

“Karen Karapetyan left, spoke with them, returned and said, ‘agreed, there will be a resignation within 2 hours’.”

Mirzoyan also said that afterwards, Deputy Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan wanted to go to Republic Square together with the revolution leaders, where the crowds of protesters were waiting.

But the three opposition figures refused him that too. They did, however, decide to have their picture taken with Karapetyan at the exit of the prison where they were being held.