YEREVAN—The Prosperous Armenia Party, President Serzh Sarkisian’s lead partner in the ruling coalition, announced Thursday that it will not be joining a new government, creating a new political playing field in Armenia.
Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia said it would comment after a meeting of its executive board. Prosperous Armenia, which currently has four ministers, will not be part of the Sarkisian cabinet.
Prosperous Armenia’s decision was announcement through a written statement signed by the party’s chairman businessman Gagig Tsarukian, who said the results of the elections did not give the party “the constitutional capacity to form a government and implement its programs. Because of this, I am officially declaring that the Prosperous Armenia Party does not find it expedient to participate in the formation of the coalition government.”
Tsarukian said that if his party joined the coalition it would not have enough power to make the changes it campaigned for, but promised to play an integral role in Armenia’s political arena.
Prosperous Armenia’s decision to not join the ruling coalition, discussion on whose formation have been ongoing since the May 6 elections, now create a new political playing field in Armenia.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia Representative, Armen Rustamian, called Prosperous Armenia’s decision “an important development,” explaining that based on the laws governing the parliament, the Prosperous Armenia is now an “opposition” party.
“The opportunities for the opposition to counterbalance and to restrain the authorities now increase in the National Assembly,” said Rustamian. “It remains to be seen how the Prosperous Armenia Party will act and that is a matter of practice and tactics.”
“This, of course, isn’t advantageous for the Republican Party of Armenia,” said Rustamian, explaining that with only the Country of Law party as it’s party the ruling coalition barely have 50 percent of the votes.
Rustamian said that the ARF is willing to cooperate with the Prosperous Party of Armenia in parliamentary activities.
Let us sincerely hope they cooperate for a progressive Armenia, and not bicker on who gets to be the top dog in the country.
What “businessman”?, I don’t understand, these individuals didn’t even participate in the liberation of artsakh, yet they plundered the country. He should be referred to as a common thief.
Dodi Gago (Gagik Kolyai Tsarukyan) has Russian Slavic features. He has a big round bowling ball shaped head and a big boned body very similar to other Russian men. He probably has Russian blood and that explains his close ties to Moscow.He looks incredibly similar to the Russian-Jewish oligarch Boris Berezovsky. I wonder if he also has Jewish blood in him. Could explain alot.
I don’t believe it matters if he has Slavic or Jewish blood in him, he’s an Armenian citizen, end of story, as long as he does well for the country that’s the main thing. We will see what happens.
I think they did not agree who gets what.Gagik is expecting to be a powerful man by himself.I won’t be surprise if he wants to be the prime minister or even the president. It is very sad even imagine that.I will hope that it won’t be reality. God help us!
Why is this oligarch even in politics? All he did this election was pay people to vote for him! Jesus can some one take this man away from political life….he has no Armenian interest! All this Gago guy cares is his wealth and his huge mansion and corrupting our society in Armenia in his own best interest! This man needs to be deported from Armenia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dodi Gago is a cancer eating away at Armenia. Send him to Azerbaijan or Turkey or Israel. He will be right at home there.
Dodi Gago was behind that attack on that gay bar in Yerevan. The dashnaks are the main oppostion to the corrupt oligarchy . Dodi Gago is the key oligarch in Armenia and I have no idea how this guy got that position.
Mr. Markarian’s comments about Mr. Tsarukyan are regrettable. Such comments should not be parts of the Armenian political discourse. Looking like a Russia- Jew is not a political problem or an aesthetic one. Sounding like a (CNI) Certified Nazi Idiot is.