Armenian president says his refusal to dismiss chief of army staff has become subject of unacceptable speculation
YEREVAN, March 1. /ARKA/. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said today his refusal to sign a prime minister's draft decree to dismiss the chief of staff of the armed forces Onik Gasparyan and return it with his objections has become a subject of unacceptable speculation and inadequate response.
Pashinyan's decree came after Gasparyan and more than 40 other top army brass issued a statement accusing the prime minister of misrule and demanding that he and his government step down.
In a statement issued by his press office today, Sarkissian emphasizes that the president of the country 'exercises his functions exclusively through powers determined by the Constitution, impartially and makes decisions, guided exclusively by national interests."
According to the statement, the president does not represent the interests of any political force, is not "white" or "black," and therefore, any speculations are impermissible and unacceptable.
"The President of the Republic has repeatedly proposed and reaffirms his readiness to consolidate political forces at the negotiating table to smooth over differences and search for mutually acceptable solutions," the statement says.
It says also the decision of the president to return the draft decree with his objections is in tune with powers of the head of state determined by part 2 of Article 139 of the Constitution.
The statement cites a Constitutional Court decision N1518 of March 31, 2020 that established that one of the conceptual powers of the President of the Republic regarding the Armed Forces in accordance with the Constitution is the alternative power to appoint and dismiss the highest leadership of the Armed Forces and other troops.
It says also that the presidential office received the resent draft decree and registered it as of March 1, 20021 and that the president will express his position on the draft decree within three days in accordance with part 2 of Article 139 of the Constitution. If the objections are denied by the respective government body, the president of the country may take the case to the Constitutional Court. -0-
