Public Council President Vazgen Manukyan resigns

President of the Public Council of Armenia Vazgen Manukyan is stepping down.

Manukyan announced his resignation in a letter addressed to members of the body. In the letter, he said he finds his future activities in the Public Council to be “meaningless”. He said he has notified the government about his decision.

“The government’s goal was supposed to be mitigating the cracks existing in society, creating an atmosphere of solidarity, and uniting the people. One of the most productive levers for implementing this goal could’ve been the Public Council itself, one of the important functions of whom, according to law, is to contribute to the development of mutual trust, dialogue and collegial relations between the government, public administration bodies and the civil society institutions. At the latest session of the Public Council I presented to you that I’ve tried several times to meet the Prime Minister to find ways of cooperating for easing the existing tension within the society and through the Public Council to prevent certain steps which in my opinion are dangerous for the state. You are also aware that these attempts were in vain. Some time has passed since our last session, and again no response. In these conditions I find my further activity in the Public Council to be meaningless and I am leaving the council, about what I have already notified the government.

I will continue the struggle for the interests of our state and people, like I’ve struggled during my entire life.

Dear colleagues, I thank you all. With many of you we’ve passed an interesting and difficult path back since 2009, trying to create a civilized arena, develop a new public culture, to find compromise solutions during problems, disputes and tensions between the society and the government. I hope the Public Council will continue maintaining its quality and will continue serving its goals,” Manukyan said in a statement addressed to his colleagues.