The Stream

What does Armenia’s future look like?

Days of anti-government protests end with the resignation of the country’s prime minister.

“The movement of the street is against my office. I’m fulfilling your demands,” Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan declared as he handed in his resignation on Monday.

Sargsyan’s announcement ended 11 days of anti-government demonstrations demanding his removal from office. The news of his resignation sparked celebrations across the country and within Armenian diaspora communities around the world.

Sargsyan had been appointed prime minister this month after serving 10 years as the country’s president. Critics saw the move as a Putin-style power grab given it was term limits that had forced him to step down as president in March.

The movement against Sargsyan was largely led by opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, who is now calling for a snap parliamentary election. Pashinyan and others are worried Sargsyan may still be an influential figure behind the scenes in the ruling Republican party of Armenia.

So what’s next? We discuss on this episode of The Stream. 

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:

Armen Grigoryan @GrigoryanArmen
Protest Organiser

Richard Giragosian @Richard_RSC
Director, Regional Studies Center
regional-studies.org

Babken DerGrigorian @babken
Political Economist

Salpi Ghazarian @salpighazarian
Institute of Armenian Studies Director, University of Southern California
civilnet.am

Read more: 

Armenia opposition leader demands snap election after PM resigns – Al Jazeera 
Why Armenians call for a velvet revolution – The Green Political Foundation 

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