The six-week military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out last year, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today (25) that the military demanded his resignation and that of his government over it. In response, Pashinyan refused to step down and denounced the military as an “attempted coup” and ordered the dismissal of military Chief of Staff Onik Gasparyan.
According to the Associated Press, the Armenian military staff headquarters issued a statement calling for Gasparyan’s departure, to which Gasparyan denounced the military’s move as a “coup” and ordered Gasparyan’s dismissal. Pashinyan asked the military to follow his orders and called on his supporters to take to the streets to support him.
However, a group of opposition demonstrators has now swarmed the streets of Armenia’s capital Yerevan, chanting “Pasinyan traitor” and “Pasinyan resign”, and traffic in the capital is now paralyzed.
In a statement, the General Staff warned the government not to try to use force against the opposition demonstrators, and it is not yet known whether the army’s demand for Pashinyan’s resignation is just a verbal warning or whether it will be achieved by force.
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