Regnum, Russia
March 26 2007

Armenian ex-premier: Prime minister’s death will influence political
situation in Armenia

The sudden death of Armenian Prime Minister, chair of the Armenian
Republican Party Andranik Margaryan can weaken positions of the
Republican Party to some extent in the pre-election period, as it
means, practically, loss of its leader, Armenia’s ex-prime minister,
leader of the National Democratic Union Party, MP Vazgen Manukyan
said to a REGNUM correspondent.

According to him, the party can be taken in hand by Defense Minister,
head of the Republican Party council Serzh Sargsyan. Meanwhile, as
Manukyan said, he would rather not predict how the process would
develop. Anyway, the MP said, for Armenia and the Republican Party,
death of the prime minister is a great loss.

As Manukyan said, the death of the prime minister will undoubtedly
influence the political situation in Armenia; however, the ex-premier
did not predict any drastic changes. `Anyway, I see no drastic
changes in Armenia’s domestic and foreign policies,’ he said adding
that Margaryan’s death would more exert impact upon positions of
`current power actors, as their confrontations and discrepancies will
acquire different character.’

The National-Democratic Union leader presented condolences because of
death of Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. `He was a man who has
done a lot for the country and fit his position,’ he said.

The Armenian prime minister, chair of the Republican Party died
suddenly on March 25. Under preliminary reports, the death was caused
by cardiac infarction.