Former chairman of CC Gagik Harutyunyan describes claims about being forced to resign as fairy-tale

Former chairman of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan denied the reports as if he was forced to resign earlier.

Speaking to RFE/RL Harutyunyan said he made the decision after being elected member of the Supreme Judicial Council.

“I was elected member of the Supreme Judicial Council and immediately decided that it is not convenient for the CC chairman to be member of council of another establishment. I have put aside the authorities of the CC chairman, which was my right and there are no special law proceedings set for doing it. It is my right, I could have stated about quitting my authorities on TV,” Gagik Harutyunyan said.

He said he quitted the authorities of the CC chairman but remained CC member till retirement.

Asked whether he was forced to step down for Hrayr Tovmasyan to become CC chairman, Harutyunyan said, “It is of fairy-tale genre. I have decided on my own that it is improper to be CC chairman in the status of Supreme Judicial Council member.”

Recently spokesperson of Armenia’s PM Vladimir Karapetyan said that the CC former chairman was made to resign for Hrayr Tovmasyan to assume the post.