YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says the President’s objections over PM Nikol Pashinyan’s motion requesting to dismiss the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces are “ungrounded”.

“The Prime Minister’s Office has received from the President’s Office objections regarding the draft decree on dismissing from duties the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister’s Office considers ungrounded and doesn’t accept the objections received from the President’s Office,” the Prime Minister’s Office said, adding that they will present substantiations as envisaged by law.

“Note that in accordance to clause 2 , article 14 of the Constitution, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia maintain neutrality in political matters and are under civilian supervision,” the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office Arsen Toroyan said in a statement.

Shortly after the President refused to sign the order to dismiss the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan and returned the motion to the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the latter again sent it back to the President for approval.

“Under the defined procedure I am once again sending the motion on dismissing the General Staff Chief to the President, expecting that it will be signed under the defined procedure,” PM Nikol Pashinyan said.

Commenting on the President's refusal to sign it and returning it to him, Pashinyan said “this decision doesn’t anyhow contribute to the resolution of the situation.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan