Pashinyan Says Armenian Armed Forces, General Staff Chief Did Not Cross 'Red Line'

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Monday at a rally of his supporters that the country's armed forces and Chief of General Staff Onik Gasparyan had not crossed the "red line", expressing hope that they would not do this, and also suggested that former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had engaged in inciting the military who demanded the resignation of the prime minister

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2021) Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Monday at a rally of his supporters that the country's armed forces and Chief of General Staff Onik Gasparyan had not crossed the "red line", expressing hope that they would not do this, and also suggested that former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had engaged in inciting the military who demanded the resignation of the prime minister.

"I must say that the command of the Armed Forces and the chief of the general staff have not yet crossed the 'red line.' I hope they won't," Pashinyan said.

He drew parallels between current events and the events of March 1, 2008.

"The statement of the General Staff is also the result of the influence of the military in 2008. Among those who persuaded the generals to make a decision was Serzh Sargsyan. Onik, you were wrong, fulfilling the will not of the people, but of the 'outcast,'" Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan said that he was ready to go to early parliamentary elections.

"If political forces agree with our proposals [on consultations on early elections], we are ready to go to early elections ... I want the people to get this opportunity. I want to be sure that you forgive us, and I challenge the parliamentary opposition, let's go to early parliamentary elections," he said, adding that the elections will show what the people demand.

Pashinyan also stated that he admitted the possibility of a transition in the republic from a parliamentary to a semi-presidential form of government after the adoption of a new or reformed constitution, on which he had proposed to hold a referendum in October this year.

"We must work to adopt a new or reformed constitution by the national referendum in October. I admit the possibility of a transition to a semi-presidential form of government," Pashinyan said.

He noted that this should be done together with the parliament, the president, and political forces.