Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has issued a statement, published on the government’s official page:
“Guided by the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Armenia law ‘On Military Service and the Status of a Serviceman,’ on 25 February 2021 the Prime Minister submitted to the President of the Republic a proposal to relieve Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan of his post, attaching the corresponding draft decree.
On 27 February 2021, the President of the Republic’s objections regarding the aforementioned draft were received by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The objections submitted by the President were not accepted by the Prime Minister, of which a written notice was sent to the President of the Republic on 28 February 2021 with corresponding justifications.
Taking into account the fact that within the timeframes stipulated by Part 3 of Article 35.1 of the Republic of Armenia law ‘On Military Service and the Status of a Serviceman’ the President of the Republic did not sign the draft submitted by the Prime Minister and did not apply to the Constitutional Court, on the basis of Part 3 of Article 139 of the Constitution, as well as Part 6 of Article 35.1 of the Republic of Armenia law ‘On Military Service and the Status of a Serviceman’ and Part 3 of Article 40 of the same law, as of 10 March 2021 Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan is considered relieved of his post by force of law.”
