World NewsArmenia on edge: Calls for PM's resignation amid peace deal turmoil
Armenia on edge: Calls for PM's resignation amid peace deal turmoil
Thousands of protesters gathered in Armenia's capital, issuing an ultimatum for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation and vowing to block his efforts towards a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.
As reported by politico.eu, a massive crowd, estimated in the tens of thousands, converged in the capital on Thursday, May 9. Opposition leaders are demanding the prime minister's ousting, criticizing his peace overtures towards Azerbaijan, a long-time adversary.
From the stage at Yerevan's central Republic Square, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian presented Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with a request, granting him one hour to step down. After the hour had elapsed, Pashinyan ignored a 15-minute extension, prompting Galstanian to address the crowd.
"Since he did not respond, he showed that he despises and rejects those who elected him," Galstanian told the assembled protestors. "We will compel him to do so," he added.
Galstanian urged the Armenian parliament to initiate proceedings for Pashinyan's removal, threatening to launch "peaceful civil disobedience" if their demands were unmet. The protests began with the singing of the national anthem and the recitation of the Lord's Prayer.
As tensions escalated, the police set up barriers between the protesters and key government buildings, including Pashinyan's office and the parliament.
"All illegal activities threatening the constitutional order will be thwarted using all legally prescribed measures," the National Security Service asserted.
Calls for the Prime Minister's resignationeEscalate in Armenia
The protests have been sparked, in part, by an announcement from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April, revealing that Armenia had agreed to voluntarily return four border villages it had occupied for over 30 years since the First Karabakh War.
The dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist region populated by Armenians but legally part of Azerbaijan, has raged for decades. The most severe fighting took place from 1988 to 1994, ending with Armenians seizing the territory.
In a recent flare-up a few years ago, Azerbaijan launched an offensive to reclaim control of the region, resulting in over 6,600 deaths.
