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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Armenia’s Pashinyan urges General Staff Chief Gasparyan to resign voluntarily

The Armenian PM claimed that he would consider President Armen Sargsyan an accomplice in the coup attempt, should he fail to fire the General Staff chief, who demands resignation of the government

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Alexandr Ryumin/TASS

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

© Alexandr Ryumin/TASS

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Armenian general staff doubles down on call to PM, government to quit

YEREVAN, February 25. /TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urged Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff Onik Gasparyan to resign voluntarily during the rally in Pashinyan’s support Thursday.

"I call on Chief of the Armenian General Staff Onik Gasparyan to resign. He will not be able to rouse the army against the people. I will not allow that. All other servicemen must return to service," Pashinyan said.

The Armenian prime minister claimed that he would consider President Armen Sargsyan an accomplice in the coup attempt, should he fail to fire Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, who demands resignation of the government, together with a group of high-ranking military officers.

"If the president of Armenia fails to sign the resignation of the chief of the General Staff, does that mean he joined the coup? I believe, it does," Pashinyan said at a rally in his support Thursday.

He also noted that people who violate the law will be arrested.

Earlier on Thursday, the Armenian General Staff published a statement, demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation over the situation in the Republic, while warning to refrain from the use of force. The General Staff stated that "the Prime Minister and the Government are incapable of making adequate decisions in the crisis situation." The statement was signed by Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, his deputies, as well as heads of departments and corps.

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