President resigned 14 years ago
On February 3, 1998, the first president of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, tendered his resignation.
The same evening, in his televised address, Ter-Petrosyan said, "I step down at the demand of forces that are well-known to the public. Trying to avoid destabilization in the country I decided to fulfill their requirement and hand in my resignation."
The country's first president declined to comment on his forced resignation. Some related the resignation to the Karabakh issue, while Ter-Petrosyan said that the Artsakh crisis is just a smokescreen for the government.
The forces demanding Ter-Petrosyan's resignation pledged to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, stating that the president put obstacles in their way.
Fourteen years have passed since then, but the settlement of the Karabakh issue has become even more complicated.
Reading out his resignation letter, the country's first president said, "The problem is much deeper. Life will show who cared for Karbakh and who sold it."
On that day, Levon Ter-Petrosyan asked for people's indulgence. "If I have done something good, I do not seek gratitude, but I apologize to you for my mistakes and beg your forgiveness."
