23:20,
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian addressed the nation, noting that only through unity we will be able to straighten our backs that have bent under the burden of defeat. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office, the address runs as follows,
‘’Dear compatriots in Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora,
The world-spread Armenian nation is now living one of the most decisive periods of our millennia-old history.
The goals we were striving for all together after the long-awaited independence of the motherland have been shaken.
We lost the war that was imposed on us, both on the battlefield and in the diplomatic and international arenas.
I once again extend my condolences to the families and relatives of the victims and wish the injured a speedy recovery.
We are the offspring of the people who survived the Genocide and overcame it.
The battle can be lost, but it is inadmissible to lose as a nation.
The house burned down with one's own hands, the lost homeland can be restored in only one way, rediscovering our victory, building a state of which we will all be truly proud.
And we can definitely do it, soberly assessing the situation, learning from the mistakes made, and being consolidated for a national revival.
No matter how different our assessments can be for the past, the fact is that we are all facing unprecedented problems.
Artsakh is seriously injured.
We have a turbulent society.
The vulnerable economy is overwhelmed by huge social problems.
There is a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the large flow of people from Artsakh to Armenia.
The situation is extremely complicated also considering the pandemic.
Finally, the Armenian spirit is pierced in any corner of the world.
Our country today is no longer the country we had on September 26, it is not even what we had on November 8.
We cannot ignore this reality and continue living our normal lives.
During the last few days, in line with the imperative of the moment, I held dozens of political consultations, meetings with parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces, various non-governmental organizations and individuals. I have had telephone conversations with our compatriots from different structures of the Diaspora.
The absolute majority of the participants of the meetings share the same opinion – the resignation or termination of powers of the Prime Minister in accordance with the Constitution – early parliamentary elections.
It is obvious that despite the cessation of the war, the Republic of Artsakh, the Republic of Armenia and the entire Armenian people are entering a period of new challenges where every mistake can have catastrophic consequences.
In this situation, there is no alternative for the Armenian people than to be united.
These days, each of us, especially politicians, government officials, must demonstrate high sense of responsibility and restraint, focusing our efforts exclusively on finding ways to overcome the crisis.
In this situation, I want to address the law enforcement bodies.
You have a great responsibility today, first of all to ensure discipline in our country, to be strong, determined, but at the same time, every time, on every occasion, remembering that in front of you is your sister or brother.
Any deviation, any violation of the law, is unacceptable and unforgivable. I call on you to uphold and protect the law and legality.
My observations based on meetings and consultations are as follows:
Given the current situation and the imperative to overcome it with dignity, listening to the public demand, it is obvious that in order to keep the country from shaking, early elections to the National Assembly will be inevitable.
In this context, in my opinion, the only responsible approach may be the objective assessment of the potential of the government and the ruling political force, to present a roadmap in a short period of time, which will provide deadlines for initiating relevant constitutional processes, as a result of which it will be possible to hold extraordinary parliamentary elections, and the state administration will be handed over to a highly qualified National Accord government during that period.
My above-mentioned observations aimed at overcoming the crisis for the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh and the whole Armenian people living in different countries of the world in these difficult days are based exclusively on national interests.
I hope that all the political forces will realize the responsibility of the moment, will fulfill their part of the historical mission with dignity.
I would like to remind you that today everyone is carefully watching Armenia, both our friends and our enemies.
We have no other duty but to strengthen our country.
We have no choice but to unite the people, ignoring any step or speech that threatens to divide the society.
Only through unity we will be able to straighten our backs that have bent under the burden of defeat, to present ourselves and future generations and the world community as the children of a nation that is impossible to defeat.
I am confident that the Armenian people will overcome the difficult situation with honor and victory.
God bless us all’’.