PAP TO SUPPORT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE IN SHIRAK BY-ELECTION COMPETING AGAINST OPPOSITION MEMBER
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/41251/prosperous_armenia_samvel_balasanyan_republican_pa rty_arman_sahakyan_gyumri_shirak_election
POLITICS | 20.11.12 | 11:36
The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) regional chapter in Shirak, which
is led by Gyumri Mayor Samvel Balasanyan, has decided to support
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) candidate Arman Sahakyan in an
upcoming by-election to the National Assembly, reported the local
daily, Haykakan Zhamanak, quoting a PAP spokesperson.
The by-election was scheduled after Balasanyan gave up his seat in
parliament won from that constituency in the May 6 election to run
for the mayoral post in Armenia's second largest city last summer.
Remarkably, Balasanyan's mayoral bid was supported by the RPA that
did not extend its support to RPA member and incumbent mayor Vardan
Ghukasyan. Eventually, the controversial former mayor of Gyumri
decided not to contest the September 9 vote in the city and later
also stepped down almost a month before he was due in October.
PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan visited Gyumri last week to hold a meeting
with the local party chapter. The position of the PAP in the local
by-election to the National Assembly must also have become a matter
of discussions then.
Sahakyan's main rival in the December 2 vote will be Murad Grigoryan,
a coordinator of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC)
in Gyumri. PAP and ANC are currently in "political consultations"
over a possible common platform in contesting next year's presidential
vote in which the RPA will nominate its leader and current President
Serzh Sargsyan for reelection.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/41251/prosperous_armenia_samvel_balasanyan_republican_pa rty_arman_sahakyan_gyumri_shirak_election
POLITICS | 20.11.12 | 11:36
The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) regional chapter in Shirak, which
is led by Gyumri Mayor Samvel Balasanyan, has decided to support
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) candidate Arman Sahakyan in an
upcoming by-election to the National Assembly, reported the local
daily, Haykakan Zhamanak, quoting a PAP spokesperson.
The by-election was scheduled after Balasanyan gave up his seat in
parliament won from that constituency in the May 6 election to run
for the mayoral post in Armenia's second largest city last summer.
Remarkably, Balasanyan's mayoral bid was supported by the RPA that
did not extend its support to RPA member and incumbent mayor Vardan
Ghukasyan. Eventually, the controversial former mayor of Gyumri
decided not to contest the September 9 vote in the city and later
also stepped down almost a month before he was due in October.
PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan visited Gyumri last week to hold a meeting
with the local party chapter. The position of the PAP in the local
by-election to the National Assembly must also have become a matter
of discussions then.
Sahakyan's main rival in the December 2 vote will be Murad Grigoryan,
a coordinator of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC)
in Gyumri. PAP and ANC are currently in "political consultations"
over a possible common platform in contesting next year's presidential
vote in which the RPA will nominate its leader and current President
Serzh Sargsyan for reelection.