Armenian Prime Minister to resign in April

Yerevan, March 29 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced he would resign in April ahead of the upcoming snap elections.

"I will resign in April. I will resign in order to let early elections take place," he said in an announcement on Sunday.

Pashinyan noted that he would continue serving as Acting Prime Minister until the parliamentary elections slated for June 20, reports Xinhua news agency.

Last week, Pashinyan announced Armenia would hold early parliamentary elections on June 20.

The announcements came amid mounting tensions between Pashinyan and the Armenian army's general staff and opposition parties on the government's resignation.

On March 10, the Prime Minister's Office said that Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan was considered dismissed because President Armen Sarkissian neither signed his dismissal order nor applied to the constitutional court within the deadline stipulated by law.

Meanwhile, Pashinyan appointed Artak Davtyan as the new Chief of the General Staff and sent the motion to Sarkissian.

Previously on February 27, Pashinyan submitted a second request to Sarkissian, seeking Gasparyan's dismissal shortly after Sarkissian refused to sign the request and said the motion to fire the military chief was unconstitutional.

On February 25, Pashinyan dismissed Gasparyan and sent the motion to Sarkissian, accusing him of attempting a military coup.

Earlier that day, Gasparyan, his deputies and dozens of top military commanders signed a statement, demanding Pashinyan and his cabinet resign.

( With inputs from IANS )