YEREVAN.- Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan handed in his resignation minutes ago. Abrahamyan addressed the MPs with the following speech:

“Fully acknowledging the responsibility before the people, the [ruling coalition’s Republican] Party [of Armenia], and the President, I present my letter of resignation. Being elected NA Speaker, I announced the Parliament must work transparently, and let it not sound immodest [on my part], but it seems to me we have achieved that.    

This was a serious phase for me. I am confident NA would continue to be the defender of the interests of the state and people. 

Our country is entering the phase of regular elections, whose high-level conduct will be to the honor us all and, first and foremost, of the authorities.  

On numerous occasions, the authorities stated the holding of free and fair elections. Its political will exists.”

He is supposed to take up the post of head of the campaign headquarters of the ruling Republican Party.