YEREVAN. – The talks about the return of Armenia’s second President, Robert Kocharyan, are not serious.
Nikol Pashinyan, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member and National Assembly (NA) “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head, said the aforementioned at a press conference on Friday.
In his words, if the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) does not step down, the current crisis in the country will grow deeper.
“We will not allow [the RPA] to take away the people’s victory,” Pashinyan assured.
Commenting on his statement that either he will become the next prime minister, or Armenia will not have a prime minister at all, Nikol Pashinyan said he had meant that the political crisis will either be resolved or will deepen.
“The issue is not who will be Prime Minister, but that the crisis be resolved,” he added. “We are convinced that there has been a citizens’ awakening. And if we don’t use every opportunity to de jure secure the results of that victory, we would betray the movement.”
After 11-day nationwide protest actions by the Nikol Pashinyan-led movement, ex-President and RPA leader Serzh Sargsyan on Monday resigned from his recently-elected post of Prime Minister.
Subsequently, Pashinyan announced that they will continue negotiations with the incumbent authorities on Wednesday, and toward achieving a smooth transfer of power in Armenia. But it became clear on Tuesday evening that this talk would not take place.
Acting PM and RPA Vice Chairman Karen Karapetyan stated that Pashinyan had posited new, unilateral demands.
Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, announced that they are resuming their protests as of Wednesday, since the RPA wants to retain power at the expense of Sargsyan’s resignation.
And on Thursday, Pashinyan invited Karapetyan to start the second round of negotiations on Friday, and before the media.
But Aram Araratyan, the spokesperson of Karen Karapetyan, on Friday issued a statement, according to which the acting PM considers “negotiations” with Nikol Pashinyan viewless, and therefore he refused to take part.
