YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. A relevant state body has submitted a notice to the parliament of Armenia stating that Armen Sarkissian holds solely Armenian citizenship since 2011 and renounced his British citizenship the same year, Vice Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov told reporters in response to an argument that the opposition has doubts regarding Sarkissian’s citizenship.

“If Armen Sarkissian is elected there will be no problems concerning legitimacy. The remaning is the problem of other political forces, more specifically only one political force. Like Armen Rustamyan had said, we have a consensus minus one in this matter. Even if the ruling power walked on water, there will be people who will accuse the ruling power for not knowing how to swim,” Sharmazanov said.

Sharmazanov urged to remember that there will always be people who criticize, today and tomorrow.

The voting for electing the 4th President of Armenia kicked off in the Armenian parliament.

Earlier in January Armen Sarkissian, Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, was offered by incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, who also serves as President of the country’s ruling Republican Party, to be the party’s candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. Sarkissian initially requested a brief period of time for pondering the offer, and in the meanwhile held various meetings with political parties, civil society representatives, Diaspora structures and others, and subsequently agreed to be nominated.

 Few days later the HHK and the ARF, the ruling coalition, officially nominated Sarkissian’s candidacy for the presidential election.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan