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Thousands of protesters gather for rally in Yerevan demanding PM’s resignation

The protesters called on those taking part in a rally in the PM’s support to join their protests

YEREVAN, March 1. /TASS/. More than 10,000 people have gathered in central Yerevan for an opposition rally demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation, a TASS correspondent reports from the site.

"We have only one demand - resignation of Nikol Pashinyan. Armenian without Nikol," an opposition activist addressed those present. The protesters called on those taking part in a rally in Pashinyan’s support to join their protests.

 

Mass rallies by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s supporters and opponents engulfed the South Caucasian nation on Thursday after Armenia’s General Staff had issued a statement demanding the the prime minister and the government step down. Pashinyan slammed that move by the top brass as an attempted military coup and announced a decision to sack the chief of the General Staff.

Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian, who is authorized by the national constitution to appoint and dismiss the chief of the General Staff at the prime minister’s behest, on Saturday refused to sign the decree removing the general. After that, Pashinyan sent back the decree to the president and called on his followers to converge on Yerevan’s central square on March 1.​

The president now has three days to either sign the decree or challenge it with the Constitutional Court.