Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stepped down due to the Constitutional Court, Aram Sargsyan, Leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia, told reporters, Monday.
"I am sure that before the meeting of the Republican Party Supreme Body, Tigran Sargsyan did not know that he 'has stepped down' as prime minister," the democratic said with irony. He said the reason of Sargsyan's resignation was the ignorant law on the mandatory accumulative pension system.
"The Constitutional Court's verdict revealed ignorance of the authors of the law, the government, namely, Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan and Minister of Social and Labor Affairs Artyom Asatryan," the politician said. According to him, the CC's verdict is more than clear: "the mandatory component of the given pension system is unconstitutional and it is illogical charging pension payment to the accumulative funds till 30 September," he said.
Aram Sargsyan thinks Serzh Sargsyan should find a proper candidate for the prime minister's post if he wants radical changes and not just cosmetic reforms. He thinks there are many proper candidates for that position both in Armenia and outside it. Asked about media rumors about probable candidates to that post, namely, Ara Abrahamyan, Rubik Vardanyan and Karen Karapetyan, the democrat said that Abrahamyan has no desire to take that post, while the views of others are not known to him. "We need a new prime minister that has no ties with this regime," he said.
To recall, on April 3 Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stepped down during the meeting of the Supreme Body of the Republican Party of Armenia.
President Serzh Sargsyan has accepted the resignation. In compliance with Article 55 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan is to appoint a new prime minister within 10 days. Afterwards, the new staff of the Government will be formed within 20 days. All the ministers automatically become acting ministers before the new premier is appointed. It is widely rumored that the following officials are probable candidates to the prime minister's post: Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, Orinats Yerkir Party Leader Arthur Baghdasaryan, Head of the President's Staff Vigen Sargsyan, and Acting Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan.