Non-Ruling Parties Explain Why Serzh Sargsyan’s Resignation Not on the Table

After September 30, the four non-ruling parliamentary parties colloquially referred to as the "quartet" (Prosperous Armenian Party, Armenian National Congress, Heritage Party, and Armenian Revolutionary Federation) will assess how the authorities fulfilled the 12 demands they submitted. This was conveyed to the members of the press in the National Assembly today by head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D) faction, MP Armen Rustamyan, responding to a question on what will happen if the authorities do not meet their demands. Earlier, head of the Heritage Party faction, Ruben Hakobyan, said the quartet intends to organize a nationwide rally. 

Asked why the quartet is not demanding Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's resignation at once, Rustamyan said for them it's not a problem of the individual, but of changing the system. "One way or another, Serzh Sargsyan must go; we must create a system in which his successor will be unable to do the same," he said. 

Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) faction, Naira Zohrabyan, said no question is taboo for them after BHK's last convention, it's just that at this time it was appropriate to discuss these points with their colleagues. 

Head of the Armenian  National Congress (HAK) faction, Levon Zourabian, said they don't pin any hopes on Serzh Sargsyan, but these issues can be addressed by any government, regardless of who is president, since the future of the country is already in doubt. 

Note, the demands presented by the four parties include removing the mandatory component of the funded pension system and returning pension deductions that were withheld from employees' wages, fully implementing the Constitutional Court ruling of April 2; reducing turnover tax rates by at least 3 times; at least doubling the amount of subsidies provided for agricultural production, irrigation water, and loans; approving a program to reactivate Nairit Plan and paying the accumulated debt of salaries to employees; establishing affordable, safe, and good quality public transportation; and so on.