The Armenian government today reports that Lieutenant-General Artak Davtyan, by “virtue of law” is considered to have taken office as Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

Davtyan thus replaces Onik Gasparyan in that post.

Earlier this month, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan named Davtyan as new army chief after Gasparyan and other top military officials called for Pashinyan’s resignation in February, claiming that the prime minister had led Armenia “to the brink of collapse” after last year’s war in Karabakh.

Pashinyan said the move amounted to a military coup attempt and requested that President Armen Sarkissian sign the directive to sack Gasparyan. Sarkissian refused to sign on two occasions but said he would not ask the Constitutional Court to invalidate the proposal within the timeframe envisaged by the legislation, thus paving the way for Gasparyan’s removal.

Under Armenian law, the president must appeal to the court to keep blocking the prime minister’s decisions.

On March 10, Gasparyan announced that he’d challenge, in court, PM Nikol Pashinyan’s decision to dismiss him and described the government’s statement and the entire dismissal process as unconstitutional. 

Gasparyan said he would step aside from his duties until the courts ruled on his dismissal challenge.

Today’s government’s statement reads:

"Guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel,” on March 10, 2021, the Prime Minister submitted a proposal to the President of the Republic to appoint Artak Davtyan Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia with the attached draft of the relevant decree.

"On March 11, 2021, the Office of the Prime Minister received the objections of the President of the Republic to the draft. The Prime Minister did not accept the President’s objections, and a document with the relevant reference note was sent to the President of the Republic of Armenia the same day.

"Whereas the President of the Republic of Armenia did not sign the draft submitted by the Prime Minister and failed to apply to the Constitutional Court in the manner established by Part 3, Article 35.1 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel,” guided by Part 3, Article 139 of the Constitution and Part 6, Article 35.1 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel,” by virtue of law, Artak Davtyan is considered to be appointed to the post of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia on March 22, 2021."