Opposition leader presses for Pashinyan's resignation at all cost

YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. Vazgen Manukyan, a leader of an alliance of Armenian opposition parties pressing for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, told journalists today he would arrest Pashinyan if he were chief of the staff of the armed forces.

'I would not allow Nikol Pashinyan to remain prime minister,' he said, adding that Pashinyan should have been arrested when the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh was not over yet 'because 90% of the people are against Nikol Pashinyan.'

According to Manukyan, Pashinyan is wrong thinking that by dismissing the chief of army's staff Onik Gasparyan he would solve all the problems.

'The army reiterated its view that Pashinyan poses a threat to the country's security,' Manukyan said. In his opinion, President Armen Sarkissian will appoint Artak Davtyan as new chief of staff, nominated earlier today by Pashinyan.

Nikol Pashinyan said in a Facebook post today that his decision to dismiss the chief of staff of the armed forces Onik Gasparyan has come into force.

A little later it emerged that President Sarkissian asked the Constitutional Court to determine whether the law On Military Service and the Status of Serviceman, which Pashinyan cited to dismiss Onik Gasparyan is in compliance with the Constitution.

"We have a very bad and dangerous prime minister for the country, there is no president. Pashinyan will continue to destroy the armed forces and whether this plan succeeds or not depends on the new head of the army's staff," Vazgen Manukyan said.

Manukyan ruled out the possibility of a compromise between the authorities and the opposition, saying that Pashinyan must leave.

"I have nothing to negotiate with Pashinyan. I consider early parliamentary elections, offered by Pashinyan absurd. The elections will not only be rigged, but it will turn out that Pashinyan will get away with everything," said Manukyan. -0-