Tigran Urikhanyan, spokesperson for the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) has decided to step down as a parliamentarian, a local "Hraparak" newspaper (The Square) writes.
"There was turmoil in Tigran Urikhanyan's room in the parliament yesterday, with PAP members going in and out and speaking loudly. Sometimes, their voices could be heard even in the parliament corridors. Later, it became known that Urikhanyan decided to leave. His party-men demanded explanations and tried to talk him out of his plans," the paper writes. According to the source, "mass migration" from the PAP is expected after today's Party congress. According to ArmInfo's sources, parliamentarians Bazmaser Arakelyan, Martun Grigoryan, Abram Manukyan look to leave the Party. ArmInfo's correspondent asked Urikhanyan to confirm the reports. However, the politician recommended following further developments.
PAP Secretary Naira Zohrabyan has already announced that Vartan Oskanian, the ex-foreign minister of Armenia, parliamentarian, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), is going to leave the Party.
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'.