YEREVAN. – I do not care what the government thinks. I see that the government has already lost 90 percent of everything, it has virtually no support. Ex-PM Vazgen Manukyan—the PM candidate of the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement which demands the resignation of Armenia’s incumbent PM Nikol Pashinyan—said this Friday morning in a conversation with reporters at Marshal Bagharmyan Avenue in the capital Yerevan.

"The whole problem is that some hot-tempered people say, 'Let's take decisive actions.' All decisive actions have been taken, the government is in agony. There must be a nationwide movement, and I know that the people from the regions want to come to Yerevan. He [Pashinyan] has to go [from power] whether he wants to or not," Manukyan added.

To the remark that the statement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces endangers the security of Armenia, Vazgen Manukyan stated: "Armenia's security is at zero. The pain is that it is virtually impossible to further disrupt Armenia's security, although Nikol is making quite a lot of attempts. Speaking of the [Russian-made] Iskander [ballistic missile’s alleged malfunction], he further reduced the level of defense.

It is clear that the army did not carry out a coup. Even if it had carried out a coup, I would not have mind. The army ensures the security of the country and finds the target which is the enemy. In fact, the army said that now Nikol Pashinyan is threatening the security, and he should leave. That was a matter within their competence," he added.

Referring to the rally and march organized by Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday, Vazgen Manukyan said: "He would have liked very much to have clashes. Who was sending people to the clashes on March 1 [2008 in Yerevan]? Nikol Pashinyan would wanted to, but nothing happened. I believe it was very prudent that we did so that there will not be  a clash."

As for the information that the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan, was being persuaded to resign, Vazgen Manukyan said: "But it is clear that he will not resign. He is a smart man. Why should he do such a thing? Nikol does not realize what it means when the army says this man must go. That is a final verdict."

On Thursday morning, the General Staff of the Armed Forces issued a statement in which the high-ranking military officials demanded the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan and his government. Pashinyan, however, considered the move as an "attempt at a military coup" and called on his supporters to gather at Republic Square in downtown Yerevan.

After their rally at Liberty Square in downtown Yerevan, the opposition demanding Pashinyan’s resignation marched to Marshal Baghramyan Avenue, continued their respective protest in front of the National Assembly, after which they announced that they would pitch tents and spend the night on Marshal Baghramyan Avenue.