YEREVAN (Tert.am)–Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan submitted his resignation, which was accepted by President Serzh Sarkisian, announced ruling Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson Edward Sharmazanov following the party’s plenary session Thursday.

Sharmazanov said that Sargsyan had tendered his resignation a month ago, but given that the Constitutional Court was still reviewing Armenia’s pension reform, the president had asked him to continue his duties.

On Wednesday, Armenia’s Constitutional Court overturned the controversial reform law.

The announcement also came days after Armenia’s four major opposition parties announced plans for joint protests against the Sarkisian administration and in support of a vote of no confidence in the government, which is sought by opposition parties in Parliament. In their announcement, representatives of the Armenian National Congress party said that while the coalition as a whole is not yet asking for the resignation of President Sarkisian, the resignation of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and the other cabinet members would pave the way for a “complete regime change” in the country.

Sargsyan has said that his decision was a serious one and that he had weighed it for a long time. Sharmazanov said Sargsyan’s resignation was for personal reasons.

The Prime Minister posted on his public Facebook page on Thursday regarding his announcement. Sargsyan said: “Dear compatriots, back in February I made a request to the President Serzh Sarkisian to accept my resignation. The decision was weighted and conscious. We agreed to postpone presenting the application for my resignation taking into consideration a number of important state events and the need for holding the economic conference of Armenia’s Republican Party. I thank all the people with whom I worked and most of all to the President of the Republic of Armenia for trusting the high position of the Prime Minister to me. I wish the new government patriotic and productive work.”

Sargsyan has served as Prime Minister since April 2008. He was last reappointed as Prime Minister in May 2013.

Under the Armenian Constitution, a new prime minister has to be appointed within ten days after the current one’s resignation. A new government has to be appointed within 20 days after the appointment of a new prime minister.