Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan submitted his resignation at a government session on Thursday, September 8.

His resignation was long rumored in the reports of Armenian media outlets which also speculated that Karen Karapetyan, a former mayor of Yerevan, will replace him as the new premier.

“Honest, realistic approaches bore fruit, but the society is still polarized,” Abrahamyan said.

“The society and the government need to unite their efforts. We need a new beginning, that's why I have decided to resign and give our President an opportunity to form a new government."

A member of the ruling Republican Party, Abrahamyan was appointed the Prime Minister of Armeniaon on April 13, 2014. Previously he was the Speaker of the National Assembly.