Newspaper: Armenia ex-FM to give up parliamentary seat?
10:22, 21.03.2015
YEREVAN. – There is a queue at the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) for
a vacant parliamentary mandate, Hraparak daily reported.
“It is actively discussed in the party backstage that whether MP,
former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who has left the PAP, will
lay down his [parliamentary] mandate at the NA [i.e. National
Assembly] four-day [session] starting next week.
“After the events of the past, he had informed in a narrow circle
about his wish to lay down the mandate. But as a result of
negotiations, Oskanian has so far announced solely about leaving the
PAP, suspending the wish to put [down] the [MP] mandate.
“Now, the former foreign minister is silent on whether or not to put
[down] the mandate, and it is difficult to say whether or not he will
indeed make that move next week.
“But perhaps it is those standing in line for a vacant [parliamentary]
mandate in the PAP who are spreading such news,” Hraparak wrote.
As reported earlier, speaking at the February 12 meeting of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Board, President Serzh Sargsyan, who
is also chairman of the RPA Board, had stated that then-PAP Chairman,
MP and oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan had become a vice for the country as a
political player. He also relieved the PAP leader from his status as a
National Security Council member, and promised that a process will
begin in connection with Tsarukyan’s frequent absence from the
parliament sessions.
In response to President Sargsyan’s remarks, Gagik Tsarukyan issued a
statement, on February 13, noting that the incumbent authorities must
be removed from power immediately. In addition, he urged to achieve
Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation by way of lawful political methods.
On February 17, however, Serzh Sargsyan and Gagik Tsarukyan held a
brokered talk, and on the next day, the then-PAP leader issued a
milder statement. He also called off the rally that was slated for
February 20.
And on March 5, Tsarukyan announced that he is quitting the PAP and
active politics, PAP National Assembly Faction Secretary Naira
Zohrabyan was elected new leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, and
she declared the latter–which had been a non-pro-government force–an
opposition party. Subsequently, however, numerous members have started
quitting the party.
Armenia News – NEWS.am