Sarkissian announced his unexpected decision to step down late on Sunday. He attributed it to his lack of constitutional powers.
Lawmakers representing the ruling Civil Contract party and the opposition minority in the National Assembly countered that Sarkissian was well aware of the largely ceremonial powers vested in the presidency when he agreed to become president in early 2018.
“Didn’t he know the limits of his prerogatives when he was elected president?” said Civil Contract’s Khachatur Sukiasian. “He must have familiarized himself with the constitution before taking office.”
Sukiasian, who is also a wealthy businessman, went on to question Sarkissian’s patriotism and attachment to Armenia.
“If an Armenian keeps 90 percent of their capital in a foreign country I can’t help but wonder to what extent he trusts and loves the Republic of Armenia,” he said, referring to a fortune made by Sarkissian in Britain.
Armenia -- President Armen Sarkissian (R) and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian attend a conference in Dilijan, June 8, 2019.
Sarkissian, 68, had lived and worked in London for nearly three decades. Former President Serzh Sarkisian offered him to become the head of state as Armenia completed its transition to a parliamentary system of government. The country’s former parliament controlled by Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) elected the new president for a seven-year term in March 2018.
Hayk Mamijanian, an opposition lawmaker affiliated with the HHK, charged that Sarkissian has not performed his duties properly since then.
“He has sung the same song for four years,” Mamijanian told reporters. “Taking about the same things -- powers, powers, powers -- for four years is not comprehensible for me.”
Serzh Sarkisian’s political allies have been particularly critical of the current president. They have claimed that he is afraid of pushing back against what they see as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s authoritarian tendencies.
Under Armenian constitution, parliament speaker Alen Simonian will take over as interim president if Sarkissian does not withdraw his resignation within a week. In that case, the National Assembly will have to elect a new head of state within the next 35 days.
To become president in the first round of voting a candidate has to be backed by at least 81 members of the 107-seat parliament. The legal threshold is set at 65 votes for the second round.
Pashinian’s Civil Contract controls 71 parliament seats, putting it in a position to install the new president. The ruling party has not yet indicated who could be its presidential candidate.
The two opposition factions in the National Assembly also did not say on Monday whether they will field a candidate.