"I am wrong .. I will leave the leadership of the country." .. Prime Minister of Armenia resigns, the release of the leader of the protests

"I am wrong .. I will leave the leadership of the country." .. Prime Minister of Armenia resigns, the release of the leader of the protests
On Monday, April 23, 2018, Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian resigned following the release of protest leader Nicole Pachinian after 11 days of mass demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people.
"Nicole Pashinian was right, and I was wrong," said Sarkisian, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an official statement posted on his website. "My estimate was wrong ... In the current situation, there are several solutions, but I will not choose any of them, this is not my style," Sarkisian said in a statement issued by his office. An hour before Sarkisian submitted his resignation, the authorities released Pachinian, according to direct pictures broadcast on Armenian television. He appeared in the pictures among his supporters who raised Armenian flags and joined the thousands of people marching along the streets of Yerevan.
Thousands of demonstrators, including students and military personnel, marched in the capital Yerevan, demanding the resignation of the former president, whom they accuse of holding power because of his appointment as prime minister with strengthened powers, after spending 10 years as head of state.
Pressure on Sarkisian, a 63-year-old, tightened on Monday when isolated soldiers in the capital Yerevan joined anti-government protests on April 13, 2018.
An elite march
The march also included students from the medical school with their white shirts and a large number of former soldiers with uniforms, raised Armenian flags and blocked the roads in a short time.
On April 22, 2018, Pachinian was arrested during a demonstration "while committing acts that pose a threat to society," according to the Armenian Public Prosecution.
"Serge Sarkisian is a leader with a Soviet mentality, and today's world forces us to show a new approach to the problems," said 23-year-old student Karen Khacharian, a 23-year-old student.
Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Karan Karapitian told state television that he would meet with Pashayan on Monday to "discuss the possibility of dialogue." Defense Minister Vijin Sarkisian called on demonstrators and authorities to "dialogue" on Monday. "I do not want to fight another Armenian and Armenian," he told a news conference.
Right to demonstrate
"Armenia recognizes the right to demonstrate freely and ensures that people can exercise this right," said Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. He called on protesters to "respect the law of demonstrations."
"The Kremlin is following closely the situation in Armenia, a very important country for Russia and its very close ally," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow. He noted that the protest movement is "an internal Armenian affair."
After the 42-year-old Pashinyan was arrested, a large protest took place on Sunday evening, 22 April 2018, in which tens of thousands of people took part in the Republican Square in the center of the capital, where the government is located. Large numbers of police have been deployed.
The first demonstration in the absence of Pashinian ended, quietly.
The protesters at Sarkisian, 63, have been unable to reduce poverty and corruption, while the wealthy continue to dominate the economy of this small Caucasian country.