YEREVAN. – During his meeting with the top officers of the Armed Forces of Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan commented his initiative—at the time—of making constitutional amendments as follows: “Thus, we ruled out the possibility of unhealthy competition of the republic’s President and Prime Minister, under the conditions of ‘co-existence,’” reported Zhoghovurd newspaper.

“Sargsyan also said that after 2018, powers of the PM of the republic will be much broader ‘than what is vested in today’s President, in a semi-presidential system [of government].

“In fact, Serzh Sargsyan admitted that at least after 2005, when the Constitution was changed and we transitioned to a semi-presidential system, there was unhealthy competition between the presidents and the PMs [of the country]. Moreover, the PMs of Armenia have been RPA [i.e. the ruling Republican Party of Armenia] members, all this time.

“And now, after these constitutional amendments, S. Sargsyan has decided to take full power into his hands as of April 2018, [but] already as PM,” wrote Zhoghovurd.