Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia's former president who lawmakers voted in as prime minister just last Tuesday, announced on Monday that he will step down.

His resignation follows days of heated protests in the streets of Yerevan, Armenia's capital, and large cities across the eastern European nation. Crowds rallied to oppose Sargsyan's new role as prime minister, perceiving it as a maneuver to cling to power.

Sargsyan, 63, had served two consecutive, five-year terms as president and was unable to seek re-election by law. A 2015 constitutional referendum transferred a number of powers from the president to the prime minister, though some independent observers reported massive election irregularities.

Critics accused him of using the tactics of his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin to maintain power: handpicking a successor to the presidency after his term limits were up and moving onto the position of prime minister, where power had been shifted.

Sargsyan began his statement of resignation with simple words: "I appeal to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the elderly and my beloved young people,

women and men, I am addressing those who have been standing in the streets night and day with the 'No to Serzh' slogan."

He continued, "I am addressing you for the last time as the country's leader. ... I am giving up the post of the country's prime minister. The movement in the streets is against my tenure. I comply with your demand."

It is not clear from the statement when Sargsyan will leave office.

His spokesman, Hovhannes Nikoghosyan, told the BBC that the resignation was a "clear demonstration of a democracy in force. It's not that every demonstration in every corner of the world leads to the resignation of the authorities," he said. The man who preceded Sargsyan as prime minister, Karen Karapetyan, is reported to be acting prime minister.

The new constitution states that the president serves for seven years and cannot be elected to consecutive terms.

As clashes erupted between police and protesters in recent days, dozens of people were injured, including the leader of Yerevan's demonstration — opposition politician Nikol Pashinyan. Nearly 200 people were detained, including Pashinyan who was "forcibly taken," The Guardian reported. A few journalists were also hurt as they covered the rallies, according to Radio Liberty.

The protests prompted the U.S. Embassy in Armenia to tweet, "We are concerned about the clashes between the police and the demonstrators, during which there were victims. We call on all sides to be restrained and avoid any tension or violent action."

But on Monday, Sargsyan's announcement caused the opposition to rejoice. "You won, proud citizen of the Republic of Armenia. And no one can snatch this victory. Congratulations, victorious people," Pashinyan posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, people in Yerevan's Republic Square celebrated the news:</s>The Prime Minister of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, has stepped down following days of mass demonstrations in the streets of the capital Yerevan over what was seen as an unconstitutional power grab by the former president.

Sargsyan previously served two, five-year terms as president of the former Soviet Republic. First elected in 2008, he served as the country's head of state until he was appointed prime minister earlier this month.

Over the weekend Nikol Pashinyan, an opposition MP and leader of the protests, was arrested but was released Monday shortly before the announcement.

"The situation has several solutions, but I will not take any of them. That is not mine. I am leaving office of the country's leader, of Prime Minister. The street movement is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand. Peace, harmony and reasoning for our country," he said.

Sargsyan took office as Prime Minister after being elected by parliament on April 17, eight days after his presidency ended. His handpicked successor, Armen Sargsyan, no relation, was sworn in as President on April 9. Under constitutional changes promoted by Serzh Sargsyan in 2015, the office of prime minister in Armenia became more powerful than that of president leading to concern of authoritarian rule descending on the country. Sargsyan had previously said he would not try to become prime minster. Reports and video posted on social media showed scenes of jubilation in the capital Yerevan.</s>Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia's former president who lawmakers voted in as prime minister just last Tuesday, announced on Monday that he will step down.

His resignation follows days of heated protests in the streets of Yerevan, Armenia's capital, and large cities across the eastern European nation. Crowds rallied to oppose Sargsyan's new role as prime minister, perceiving it as a maneuver to cling to power.

Sargsyan, 63, had served two consecutive, five-year terms as president and was unable to seek re-election by law. A 2015 constitutional referendum transferred a number of powers from the president to the prime minister, though some independent observers reported massive election irregularities.

Critics accused him of using the tactics of his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin to maintain power: handpicking a successor to the presidency after his term limits were up and moving onto the position of prime minister, where power had been shifted.

Sargsyan began his statement of resignation with simple words: "I appeal to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the elderly and my beloved young people,

women and men, I am addressing those who have been standing in the streets night and day with the 'No to Serzh' slogan."

He continued, "I am addressing you for the last time as the country's leader. ... I am giving up the post of the country's prime minister. The movement in the streets is against my tenure. I comply with your demand."

It is not clear from the statement when Sargsyan will leave office.

His spokesman, Hovhannes Nikoghosyan, told the BBC that the resignation was a "clear demonstration of a democracy in force. It's not that every demonstration in every corner of the world leads to the resignation of the authorities," he said. The man who preceded Sargsyan as prime minister, Karen Karapetyan, is reported to be acting prime minister.

The new constitution states that the president serves for seven years and cannot be elected to consecutive terms.

As clashes erupted between police and protesters in recent days, dozens of people were injured, including the leader of Yerevan's demonstration — opposition politician Nikol Pashinyan. Nearly 200 people were detained, including Pashinyan who was "forcibly taken," The Guardian reported. A few journalists were also hurt as they covered the rallies, according to Radio Liberty.

The protests prompted the U.S. Embassy in Armenia to tweet, "We are concerned about the clashes between the police and the demonstrators, during which there were victims. We call on all sides to be restrained and avoid any tension or violent action."

But on Monday, Sargsyan's announcement caused the opposition to rejoice. "You won, proud citizen of the Republic of Armenia. And no one can snatch this victory. Congratulations, victorious people," Pashinyan posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, people in Yerevan's Republic Square celebrated the news:</s>Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan suddenly resigned on Monday less than a week after taking office amid massive opposition protests.

“The people are against my rule,” Sargsyan, who took office as prime minister after serving as Armenia’s president for 10 years, said in a statement. “I am leaving my post.”

The announcement came as demonstrators flooded the streets of the capital, Yerevan, for an 11th day on Monday demanding Sargysan’s resignation, and hours after police released opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan from overnight detention. Pashinyan’s arrest prompted the largest protest to date on Sunday, while scores of troops joined the anti-government movement on Monday for the first time.

The crisis erupted when the ruling Republican Party elected Sargsyan prime minister last week as Armenia completed a transition to a parliamentary republic in which executive powers were transferred from the presidency to the premier. Pashinyan accused Sargsyan of trying to rule indefinitely after two terms as president and demanded his resignation as thousands took to the streets in protest. Talks between Sargsyan and Pashinyan on Sunday broke up in minutes when the opposition leader said he’d only come to discuss the premier’s resignation. He was detained shortly after.</s>Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia's former president who lawmakers voted in as prime minister just last Tuesday, announced on Monday that he will step down.

His resignation follows days of heated protests in the streets of Yerevan, Armenia's capital, and large cities across the eastern European nation. Crowds rallied to oppose Sargsyan's new role as prime minister, perceiving it as a maneuver to cling to power.

Sargsyan, 63, had served two consecutive, five-year terms as president and was unable to seek re-election by law. A 2015 constitutional referendum transferred a number of powers from the president to the prime minister, though some independent observers reported massive election irregularities.

Critics accused him of using the tactics of his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin to maintain power: handpicking a successor to the presidency after his term limits were up and moving onto the position of prime minister, where power had been shifted.

Sargsyan began his statement of resignation with simple words: "I appeal to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the elderly and my beloved young people,

women and men, I am addressing those who have been standing in the streets night and day with the 'No to Serzh' slogan."

He continued, "I am addressing you for the last time as the country's leader. ... I am giving up the post of the country's prime minister. The movement in the streets is against my tenure. I comply with your demand."

It is not clear from the statement when Sargsyan will leave office.

His spokesman, Hovhannes Nikoghosyan, told the BBC that the resignation was a "clear demonstration of a democracy in force. It's not that every demonstration in every corner of the world leads to the resignation of the authorities," he said. The man who preceded Sargsyan as prime minister, Karen Karapetyan, is reported to be acting prime minister.

The new constitution states that the president serves for seven years and cannot be elected to consecutive terms.

As clashes erupted between police and protesters in recent days, dozens of people were injured, including the leader of Yerevan's demonstration — opposition politician Nikol Pashinyan. Nearly 200 people were detained, including Pashinyan who was "forcibly taken," The Guardian reported. A few journalists were also hurt as they covered the rallies, according to Radio Liberty.

The protests prompted the U.S. Embassy in Armenia to tweet, "We are concerned about the clashes between the police and the demonstrators, during which there were victims. We call on all sides to be restrained and avoid any tension or violent action."

But on Monday, Sargsyan's announcement caused the opposition to rejoice. "You won, proud citizen of the Republic of Armenia. And no one can snatch this victory. Congratulations, victorious people," Pashinyan posted on Facebook.

Meanwhile, people in Yerevan's Republic Square celebrated the news:</s>The leader of major political protests that have gripped the Armenian capital for more than a week has been arrested, and the streets of Yerevan are echoing with the blare of car horns in a new technique for expressing opposition.

The protests that began on April 13 center on the appointment of former President Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister, part of Armenia's transition to a governmental system that reduces the powers of the presidency and bolsters the premier's. Critics say the change effectively allows Sargsyan to lead the country for life.

Sargsyan and protest leader Nikola Pashinian met Sunday morning for brief televised talks, but Sargsyan walked out after Pashinian made it clear he would only discuss Sargsyan's resignation.

Pashinian was arrested later in the day.</s>The prime minister and former president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, announced his resignation on Monday amid ongoing mass protests in the capital of Yerevan.

Sargsyan made the announcement in a statement on his website, saying that “the movement of the streets is against my office,” so he decided to leave office.

The protests came in reaction to Sargsyan’s appointment as prime minister earlier this month, after he had already served as president for a decade.

The parliament’s vote to appoint him prime minister completed the Caucasus nation’s switch from a presidential to a parliamentary system following a disputed 2015 referendum, a move the government describes as a boost for democracy.

But many Armenians saw the system change as a scheme designed to allow Sargsyan to maintain his grip on power. Under the new constitution, the president’s powers will be transferred to the prime minister.

Sargsyan had long promised not to run for either president or prime minister after the end of his 2018 term, but changed his tune in March this year.</s>This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

For 11 days, the opposition pressure mounted against Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia’s most powerful politician. But few expected he would go so quietly.



Sargsyan, the country’s prime minister and former president for a decade, resigned suddenly on Monday in a stunning concession to the country’s opposition, which had filled the former Soviet republic’s main square with tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding his exit.

Facing a renewed wave of thousands of demonstrators, including deserting soldiers, Sargsyan issued a stark mea culpa on Monday. “I was wrong,” he said in a statement on his government’s website. And he resigned.



Residents of the capital, Yerevan, poured out on the streets to celebrate. “The street movement is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand,” his statement said.

Hundreds of uniformed soldiers had joined anti-government demonstrators earlier on Monday in the 11th consecutive day of protests.

The demonstrations were sparked by Sargsyan’s decision to take on the post of prime minister after serving for more than a decade as the country’s president, provoking anger among opposition parties and other protest groups.

The decision came as his second term as president came to an end, and shortly after the constitution was amended to give more power to the prime minister and transform the presidency into a ceremonial role.

The triumph for the protest movement sent shockwaves through the region on Monday, but appeared unlikely to garner intervention.

Russia, a powerful regional actor which has tried to avert revolutions in neighbouring states in the past, appeared to accept Sargsyan’s resignation. The Kremlin said it would not involve itself in the country’s internal politics.

Prior to Sargsyan’s resignation, and apparently yielding to opposition pressure, police released Nikol Pashinyan, a protest leader and opposition MP who had been arrested alongside hundreds of demonstrators on Sunday. Until his release, Pashinyan’s whereabouts had been unknown.

“Nikol! Nikol!” chanted protesters draped in Armenian flags as they marched in Yerevan. Tens of thousands of protesters had gathered in the city’s Republic Square at the weekend in one of the country’s largest demonstrations in years.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Serzh Sargsyan in Warsaw in July 2016. Photograph: Jacek Turczyk/EPA

“This is the last time I will speak to you as the head of the government,” Sargsyan said in an extraordinary statement. “Nikol Pashinyan was right. I was wrong.”

Sargsyan’s attempted move to the prime minister’s office earned comparisons to the return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency in 2012, after spending four years as Russia’s prime minister. Putin too faced opposition demonstrations, but managed to survive them.

In Armenia, the outrage over Sargsyan’s return gained a foothold, with political opponents uniting with civil activists to maintain pressure on the government.

On the 10th day of protests, they coaxed Sargsyan into negotiations with the opposition at a hotel in Yerevan. “I came here to discuss your resignation,” Pashinyan told Sargsyan shortly before negotiations broke down on Sunday. Pashinyan was arrested shortly afterwards.

On Monday striking students, defying threats from police to stay away, blocked streets in Yerevan, with dozens of soldiers joining demonstrators, according to videos posted on social media. The soldiers appeared to be unarmed.

The defence ministry warned earlier on Monday that the soldiers, who it said were members of a unit deployed as peacekeepers, would be punished harshly for participating in the protests.

After hundreds of arrests on Sunday it appeared that Armenia’s protests could end in a bloody crackdown. But by Monday afternoon, Sargsyan’s resolve appeared to have collapsed. Pashinyan was released in the early afternoon and Sargsyan’s resignation statement came hours later.

“The situation that has been created has a few solutions, but I am not part of any of them,” Sargsyan said. “I will leave my post as the country’s prime minister.” It was an admission of guilt so frank, it seemed out of place in modern politics.

The defence minister warned that Armenia’s foe Azerbaijan was benefiting from the unrest. “The enemy is looking at events in our country. Instability inside our country opens a road for them to take action. We need to tell society about this,” Vigen Sarkisian said. He said the army could only become involved if a state of emergency was declared, which he hoped would not happen “for years to come”.

A shrewd former military officer, Sargsyan was first elected as president of the impoverished Moscow-allied country in 2008. After that poll, 10 people died in clashes between police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate. He was re-elected in 2013, with his second and final term ending on 9 April.</s>Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has resigned, according to his website.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has resigned, according to his website.</s>YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - The leader of major political protests that have gripped the Armenian capital for more than a week has been arrested, and the streets of Yerevan are echoing with the blare of car horns in a new technique for expressing opposition.

The protests that began on April 13 center on the appointment of former President Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister, part of Armenia's transition to a governmental system that reduces the powers of the presidency and bolsters the premier's. Critics say the change effectively allows Sargsyan to lead the country for life.

Sargsyan and protest leader Nikola Pashinian met Sunday morning for brief televised talks, but Sargsyan walked out after Pashinian made it clear he would only discuss Sargsyan's resignation.

Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, left, speaks with protest leader Nikol Pashinian during their meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators on Saturday closed off streets in Yerevan during a march pressing demands for the prime minister to resign. Sargsyan was named premier this week as Armenia transitioned to a new system of government that reduces the presidency's power and bolsters the prime minister role. (Hrant Khachatryan/PAN Photo via AP)

Pashinian was arrested later in the day.

Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, left, gestures as he leaves a meeting with protest leader Nikol Pashinian, right, in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Thousands of demonstrators on Saturday closed off streets in Yerevan during a march pressing demands for the prime minister to resign. Sargsyan was named premier this week as Armenia transitioned to a new system of government that reduces the presidency's power and bolsters the prime minister role. (Hrant Khachatryan/PAN Photo via AP)
Serzh Sargsyan resigns as Armenia's prime minister after eleven days of large street protests against him.