The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) respects Gagik Tsarukyan's decision to step down as Leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP). It was his personal decision, Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Spokesperson for RPA, told reporters.
Sharmazanov welcomed the decision of Naira Zohrabyan, the new leader of PAP, to announce the PAP as an institutional opposition party. "Time will show if Prosperous Armenia will meet expectations of the people," Sharmazanov said.
"I'd like to refrain from making any forecasts. If I praise the PAP, you will think that it is a pocket opposition. If I criticize it, you will blame us for hitting a man when he is down. Let's wait and see. Anyway, it is impossible to become an institutional opposition overnight," Sharmazanov told reporters. He said the RPA has no personal problems with any political figure. The party is fighting phenomena only, he said.
The vice speaker believes that the opposition in Armenia has faced hard times. "The parties Orinats Yerkir and Heritage are experiencing complicate processes. Armenian National Congress sang his swan song. Let's wait and see what the PAP will do. Much will come to light after the constitutional reform," the Republican politician said. He is sure that the latest developments clearly demonstrated that the ideologically strongest political power in Armenia is the Republican Party and its chances for the coming 10 years are the biggest.
At the PAP Congress on March 5 Gagik Tsarukyan stepped down as the PAP leader and announced that he leaves the big politics. Secretary of the PAP parliamentary faction Naira Zohrabyan replaced him on the posts of the PAP leader and PAP faction head saying the party will be operating in he opposition camp.