Victory for Armenian protests: Sargsyan has resigned

The announcement of the resignation on the eve of the memorial day of the Armenian genocide. Soldiers are also among the demonstrators. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan freed, proposes new elections.

Erevan (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After only a week as prime minister and 10 years as president, Serge Sargsyan resigned yesterday afternoon, forced by the protests that have blocked the center of the capital for 11 days.

The demonstrations called for Sargsyan’s removal from power, after a disputed constitutional reform passed to his advantage. People also accuse him of corruption and ineptitude for not having improved the country's situation of poverty. According to observers, decision in favour of a resignation came after demonstrators were also joined by hundreds of soldiers.

As the news spread, the square broke out into cheers, dancing, drinking, opening bottles of sparkling wine and dancing on the fountains of Republic Square (see photo), near the seat of government.

Shortly before the announcement of Sargsyan’s resignation, opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, arrested a few days earlier, was released.

In a statement published online, Sargsyan said he wanted to "fulfill" the demands of the protest movement and that "Nikol Pashinyan was right and I was wrong. I leave the office of head of the nation, of prime minister ".

In the expectation of a new premier and a new government, power has been entrusted to Karen Karapetyan, from Sargsyan’s Republican Party. Today Pashinyan will meet Karapetyan to suggest him to hold new elections. "I hope - he said - that the high spheres of the Republican Party unambiguously recognize the popular, velvet and non-violent revolution".

The resignation of Sargsyan took place on the eve of the Day commemorating the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. President Armen Sarkissian, asking for a truce today, commented: "On this day no Armenian must oppose another" .

Spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow "is very carefully observing " what is happening in Armenia, and that Russia will not intervene: it is "an exclusively internal affair".

• Armenia
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• democracy
• Serge Sargsyan
• Nikol Pashinyan
• Russia
• Vladimir Putin
• but Nights
• Velvet Revolution