YEREVAN, Nov. 4 -- Armenian Prime Minister Grant Bagratyan, a proponent of radical economic reform, resigned Monday amid political tension within the ruling party. Tension has arisen since angry demonstrators stormed the Parliament in September alleging rigged presidential elections. 'I have made this decision myself. I have not been dismissed,' Bagratyan told reporters in Yerevan, adding his decision had been taken after lengthy consultations with President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Asked whether political infighting accounted for his decision, Bagratyan replied, 'I'll not mention names, but this indeed played its part. After the elections in Armenia, the internal situation in the republic became rather unsound.' Thousands of demonstrators seizedthe Armenian Parliament on Sept. 25 to protest the authoritarian leader's re-election. Police used clubs, tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters. At least 59 people were hurt and several lawmakers jailed. Although Bagratyan said he stepped down of his own accord, observers speculated he was sacrificed to appease popular discontent that had become acute in the wake of allegations Ter-Petrosyan rigged the election. Not long after the vote, David Shakhnazaryan, a leader of the ruling party and relative of the president, sharply criticized Bagratyan's economic 'shock therapy' policies as harmful to the nation's citizens. The influential leader also accused Bagratyan and the heads of Armenia's defense and interior ministries of planning a coup and urged their dismissal. Bagratyan was unpopular with many segments of the populace who blamed him for the hardships experienced during his four years as a prime minister.
'The economic policies chosen by the Cabinet have been fully implemented,' Bagratyan said, showing no signs of regret at his departure. 'We managed to achieve our plan to establish market relations in Armenia,' he said. 'I hope the current government will deepen this process.' Ter-Petrosyan named a former Armenian ambassador to Britain and Cambridge University physicist, Armen Sarkisyan, to be his new prime minister.
