At today's government sponsored rally today to mark the thirteenth anniversary of the March 1, 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan and to commemorate the victims of the recent Artsakh war, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan accused former President Serzh Sargsyan of influencing some generals of the Armed Forces to go against the state and the people.

Pashinyan described a recent call by the country’s military General Staff for him and his government to resign as illegal.

Pashinyan said that Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan made a “big mistake” by not complying with his order to step down.

On February 25, Pashinyan issued a directive calling for the dismissal of Gasparyan after the General Staff demanded that Pashinyan and his government to step down for misrule and incompetence.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has not signed the directive for Gasparyan’s dismissal.

During his speech today, Pashinyan said he hoped Sarkissian would sign the directive “in the interests of the people, state and stability of Armenia.”

Pashinyan said that constitutional changes are planned through a referendum in October this year, which may establish a semi-presidential system in Armenia.

During the rally, Pashinyan spoke about the possibility of early parliamentary elections and suggested that the opposition "go to the polls."