DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN RULING RPA AND PAP CAUSED BY CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, POLITICAL TECHNOLOGIST SAYS

YEREVAN, February 25. /ARKA/. The disagreement between the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP) were caused by the constitutional reform, political technologist
Karen Kocharyan said on the air on Sputnik-Armenia radio channel.

The reform has been the visible part of the iceberg, he said.

Kocharyan also said the authorities felt a threat from PAP after
the latter gathered lots of people in the last rallies in autumn,
fearing it may develop into a critical mass growing itself.

Speaking on February 12 at a meeting of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia, president Serzh Sargsyan criticized harshly the leader of
Prosperous Armenia party tycoon Gagik Tsarukian and said Tsarukian,
as a political actor, is an evil for the country. The president signed
a decree withdrawing Tsarukian from the national security council
due to his systematic failure to attend the council meetings. The
president also instructed to look into cases of the tycoon’s absence
in the parliament sessions and the rumors about his tax evasion.

The leader of the Prosperous Armenia, in turn, said the reason for the
president’s statements is his refusal to contribute to the reproduction
of the political power through a constitutional reform.

In particular, the tycoon said he refused to become a president
after the country turns to parliamentary form through constitutional
amendments.

According to the expert, invisible processes started when PAP refused
to enter the coalition after the 2012 parliamentary elections.

Yet, the expert said PAP has not been withdrawn from active political
life.

“Time will show whether the authorities or the people themselves will
bring up a new opposition force,” Kocharyan said.

The expert has not ruled out new political forces may occur during
the next months.

PAP was going to hold a rally on February 20, together with two other
opposition parties, Armenian national Congress and the Heritage, but
cancelled the rally later. PAP leader Gagik Tsarukian urged people
to solve problems only through peaceful, legal and political means.

PAP parliament faction, has been boycotting the regular parliamentary
session as from Monday. The secretary of the faction Naira Zohrabyan
said they will discuss the situation in the next days and make a
statement about further steps.