President Sarkissian believes his decision met "unacceptable speculation”

“The decision of the President to return the draft decree with objections to has been met with unacceptable speculation and inadequate reactions.

We stress again that the President fulfills his duties only through the authorities granted by the Constitution, impartially, and makes decisions solely on the basis of national and state interests.

The President neither represents the interests of any political force nor takes sides, and any speculation on this is unacceptable.

The key mission of the President as the head of the state is to maintain adherence to the Constitution and use the institution of presidency as a platform for negotiation and resolution of the situation in the country. The President has often suggested and now he reiterates his readiness to gather political forces at a negotiation table for overcoming disagreements and finding mutually acceptable solutions.

The President has referred the draft decree on dismissal of Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces, General Colonel Onik Gasparyan back to the Prime Minister with objections, based on the President’s authority indicated in Paragraph 2 of Article 139 of the Constitution.

It should be noted that in the decision of 31 March 2020, the Constitutional Court rules that the President’s authorities, granted by the Constitution, include the alternative authority for appointing and dismissing senior command staff of the armed forces and other forces.\

The staff of the President received the substantiation for rejection of the President’s objections in the evening of 28 February 2021 and registered it on the closest working day, 1 March 2021. The President will announce his view on the draft decree in accordance with and at the time indicated in Paragraph 2 of Article 139 of the Constitution.”

“The decision of the President to return the draft decree with objections to has been met with unacceptable speculation and inadequate reactions.

We stress again that the President fulfills his duties only through the authorities granted by the Constitution, impartially, and makes decisions solely on the basis of national and state interests.

The President neither represents the interests of any political force nor takes sides, and any speculation on this is unacceptable.

The key mission of the President as the head of the state is to maintain adherence to the Constitution and use the institution of presidency as a platform for negotiation and resolution of the situation in the country. The President has often suggested and now he reiterates his readiness to gather political forces at a negotiation table for overcoming disagreements and finding mutually acceptable solutions.

The President has referred the draft decree on dismissal of Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces, General Colonel Onik Gasparyan back to the Prime Minister with objections, based on the President’s authority indicated in Paragraph 2 of Article 139 of the Constitution.

It should be noted that in the decision of 31 March 2020, the Constitutional Court rules that the President’s authorities, granted by the Constitution, include the alternative authority for appointing and dismissing senior command staff of the armed forces and other forces.\

The staff of the President received the substantiation for rejection of the President’s objections in the evening of 28 February 2021 and registered it on the closest working day, 1 March 2021. The President will announce his view on the draft decree in accordance with and at the time indicated in Paragraph 2 of Article 139 of the Constitution.”