Thursday, March 5 2015 12:48

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was very decisive and confident in its efforts "to remove" the pro-Russian Prosperous Armenia Party from the political field, which would be impossible without Moscow's consent, says Stepan Safaryan, Head of the Armenian Institute for International Security.

Talking to reporters, Thursday, the opposition politician said Sargsyan would not dare to take such severe measures against its political rival without Moscow's consent.   He is sure that Moscow saw a threat in PAP, as it could consolidate the opposition and make a color revolution.  Safaryan spotlighted the conciliation of Sargsyan and Tsarukyan in mediation of the ARFD Party and Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, which, as he thinks, could not happen without certain promises.  Safaryan said no matter who will lead PAP in the current situation, because the Party is reluctant to take the course it had in 2007 not to split up. "At least, look at the latest refusals from the parliament seats and party membership," Safaryan said.  He thinks that by slamming Tsarukyan, the president has cornered his team, which little differs from Tsarukyan with their intellectual abilities. "The Republican Party will have to change its team ahead of the 2017 elections. A new government may be formed this year, as the incumbent one is a result of concessions to the PAP," the politician said.

At today's congress of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), Gagik Tsarukyan, the PAP leader, will announce that he is leaving the post of the PAP chairman and  PAP Faction Secretary Naira Zohrabyan will become the chairperson of the party. It is widely rumored that many party-members, including Vartan Oskanian, do not welcome Tsarukyan's decision. Oskanian disagrees with the PAP's changed stand on the domestic policy situation too. Reportedy. The former minister of urban development Vardan Vardanyan will become vice chairman of the Party. After today's congress, PAP may join the radical opposition.

Earlier on February 12, Serzh Sargsyan slammed Tsarukyan for failing to fulfill his responsibilities of a Security Council member, for not attending the parliament sittings and "billions" of tax evasions.  Tsarukyan, in turn, urged the people to come together and demand the president's resignation. Following the February 17 meeting with the president, the PAP leader cancelled the opposition rally set for Feb 20 and 'capitulated'.