ArmInfo. During the period of transition from the semi-presidential governance to parliamentary one, the Republican Party of Armenia is to assume a special mission, Armenian President, Chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Serzh Sargsyan said at the 16th congress of the RPA in Yerevan on November 26.
President Sargsyan said that the years 2016-2018 will be important in terms of effective implementation of the transitional provisions of the Constitution. "During this period we should act as a principled leading force, which is ready for dialogue," he stressed, adding that the new Constitution considerably enhances the role of the parties in the public and political life. "From now on, the political arena will have no such notions as party-man or party-club. Ideological parties should be the primary force shaping the political field. Under the new conditions, purification of the political field is inevitable. This should be expressed in a clear designation of the authorities and the opposition," he emphasized, noting that following the constitutional reforms consolidation of the political forces becomes inevitable. He stressed that the RPA gives high priority to holding of fair and transparent parliamentary elections in 2017 in order to continue the process of reforms.
Sargsyan thinks that the RPA is an influential political force that can implement reforms in the political, economic and social fields. He said that the ruling party is willing to cooperate with both individuals and parties. As an example, he pointed at the cooperation with the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, which decided to share the responsibility with the RPA at a crucial moment for the republic and keeps effectively cooperating with it, helping resolve the current problems.
The President noted that the current challenges need revision of attitudes not only towards cooperation with the political forces, but also towards the Armenia-Diaspora relations. "We will continue to exert efforts towards resolution of the Karabakh conflict, international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and maintenance of Armenian identity abroad. However, coordinated measures of Armenians worldwide are needed to implement new ideas and programs aimed at socio-economic development of the country," he stressed. Sargsyan announced his intention to use the potential of the Armenian Diaspora for sustainable development of the Motherland.