In Armenia, president resigns saying constitution gives the role insufficient power

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian tendered his resignation on [24 January] saying he believes the country's constitution does not give him sufficient powers to influence events. Sarkissian, president since 2018, was in a standoff with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last year over a number of issues, including the dismissal of the head of the armed forces. [...] "I have been thinking for a long time, I have decided to resign from the post of the President of the Republic after working actively for about four years," Sarkissian said in a statement published on the president's official website. "The question may arise as to why the President failed to influence the political events that led us to the current national crisis. The reason is obvious again - the lack of appropriate tools ... - the Constitution. The roots of some of our potential problems are hidden in the current Basic Law." At a referendum in December 2015, Armenia became a parliamentary republic, while presidential powers were significantly curtailed.
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