Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at a meeting with members of a special commission on constitutional reforms today said he will not run for president again in the future. According to a preliminary draft of the concept of constitutional reforms, published on the RA Ministry of Justice website earlier today, the country's president is elected by the National Assembly from among candidates who have no party affiliation for a term of 7 years with no option of renewal.
In Sargsyan's opinion, for Armenia, at least at this stage of development, the current governance model is the most acceptable. "In any case, I find that this issue raised by the expert commission, among others, should become the subject of public discussions. But it's important also to keep in mind that in giving a final assessment on political issues, the approaches of our country's political forces should not be ignored or underestimated," he said.
"And before you, before beginning the discussions stage, I officially declare that I, Serzh Sargsyan, will never run for President of the Republic of Armenia. If, as a result of the final discussions, a path that does not correspond with my wishes is chosen, I mean the model of parliamentary government, then I will not run also for the position of prime minister," he said, according to the president's official website [AM].
Sargsyan added that he is "even confident" that in Armenia, one man should not manage the country more than twice in his lifetime.