Resignation of Prime Minster Tigran Sargsyan became a key issue on Armenia’s current political agenda.

Vice speaker of the National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov announced Sargsyan’s resignation upon completion of the meeting of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia on April 3.

Sharmazanov said Sargsyan submitted resignation a month ago, however the President insisted that the PM should not leave the post unless the Constitutional Court rules on the controversial pension reform.

In a Facebook post, Sargsyan said it was a well-considered decision while Sharmazanov said personal issues were involved as well.

A member of the ARF Dashnaktutyun supreme body, MP Aghvan Vardanyan refused to comment on the situation, noting however, that the resignation news wasn’t unexpected.

The Heritage party secretary Stepan Safaryan noted that there is an invisible pressure on Sargsyan. "It’s coming from Russia, rather than Armenia," Panorama.am quoted his as saying.

Another member of Heritage party, Tevan Poghosyan noted that a change in Armenia was long overdue, and congratulated the opposition, which, he thought, played a significant role in current developments.

Prosperous Armenia party, which refrained from comments, will hold a joint meeting with ARFD, Heritage and Armenian National Congress to discuss their further agenda in the light of the PM’s resignation.

As Tert.am reported, citing Hraparak daily, among possible candidates for the PM’s post were named ex-PM Armen Sargsyan, VivaCell-MTS CEO Ralph Yirikian, ex-leader Robert Kocharian and former Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan. The latter’s candidacy is more likely to be approved by the Russian side, with which, the paper said, the appointment is likely to be coordinated.

As Tert.am also noted citing Zhoghovurd daily, four days ago, sources from the presidential residence reported that Sargsyan had submitted a resignation and was going to leave Armenia.

According to the sources, he is most likely to be appointed vice-president of the World Bank. However, his spokesman Harutyun Berberyan refuted the reports.