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SINKING SHIP: PAP DEFECTIONS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON IN ARMENIAN POLITICS
POLITICS | 05.03.15 | 15:25
Photolure
GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Once again members of another weighty political party in Armenia
started leaving the party in its crisis, which, according to
specialists, proves that political parties in Armenia are not
ideological and if need be members can simply walk away.
The latest party of defection is the Prosperous Party of Armenia
(PAP), which started to breakdown following a "war of words" between
its leader GagikTsarukyan and President SerzhSargsyan. Sargsyan won
the "war", and it appears that Tsarukyan is losing his party.
And although on February 16 National Assembly PAP faction member
MikayelMelkumyan told reporters that "there will be no jumping of ship
from the party", that very day it became known that AragatsAkhoyan
left the party. Several other members followed him. And on Wednesday
it became known that one of the most influential figures of the party,
Armenian former Foreign Minister VardanOskanyan will quit the party.
Party members say that Tsarukyan will soon announce his resignation
from leadership of PAP, and will give up his Parliament mandate.
Such a shakeup isn't new in the Armenian political field. Still in the
end of the 90s when the-then ruling Armenian National Movement party
announced it was leaving the government, many quit the party as well.
When in 2006 OrinatsYerkir party announced leaving the ruling
coalition, a number of members left the party, some of whom joined
the PAP and now, according to rumors in media, will soon leave the
PAP as well.
In April of 2014 when OrinatsYerkir once again claimed about leaving
the coalition, this time three ministers of the party left it.
Political analyst Sergey Minasyan, deputy director of Caucasus
Institute, told ArmeniaNow that this is the result of not being
ideological.
"The PAP was not an ideological party, which is the case with almost
all current political parties. So, with certain pressure from the
government, leadership decided to leave politics, as a result losing
the support and the respect of the political team," Minasyan said.
According to Minasyan, this will have its negative consequences not
only for those who voted withPAP, but also for the internal political
field of the country in general.
"If you have an almost non-existent opposition and weak government
with no legitimacy, this is a big problem,"Minasyan said.
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/61177/prosperous_party_of_armenia_gagiktsarukyan_serzh_s argsyan
POLITICS | 05.03.15 | 15:25
Photolure
GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Once again members of another weighty political party in Armenia
started leaving the party in its crisis, which, according to
specialists, proves that political parties in Armenia are not
ideological and if need be members can simply walk away.
The latest party of defection is the Prosperous Party of Armenia
(PAP), which started to breakdown following a "war of words" between
its leader GagikTsarukyan and President SerzhSargsyan. Sargsyan won
the "war", and it appears that Tsarukyan is losing his party.
And although on February 16 National Assembly PAP faction member
MikayelMelkumyan told reporters that "there will be no jumping of ship
from the party", that very day it became known that AragatsAkhoyan
left the party. Several other members followed him. And on Wednesday
it became known that one of the most influential figures of the party,
Armenian former Foreign Minister VardanOskanyan will quit the party.
Party members say that Tsarukyan will soon announce his resignation
from leadership of PAP, and will give up his Parliament mandate.
Such a shakeup isn't new in the Armenian political field. Still in the
end of the 90s when the-then ruling Armenian National Movement party
announced it was leaving the government, many quit the party as well.
When in 2006 OrinatsYerkir party announced leaving the ruling
coalition, a number of members left the party, some of whom joined
the PAP and now, according to rumors in media, will soon leave the
PAP as well.
In April of 2014 when OrinatsYerkir once again claimed about leaving
the coalition, this time three ministers of the party left it.
Political analyst Sergey Minasyan, deputy director of Caucasus
Institute, told ArmeniaNow that this is the result of not being
ideological.
"The PAP was not an ideological party, which is the case with almost
all current political parties. So, with certain pressure from the
government, leadership decided to leave politics, as a result losing
the support and the respect of the political team," Minasyan said.
According to Minasyan, this will have its negative consequences not
only for those who voted withPAP, but also for the internal political
field of the country in general.
"If you have an almost non-existent opposition and weak government
with no legitimacy, this is a big problem,"Minasyan said.
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/61177/prosperous_party_of_armenia_gagiktsarukyan_serzh_s argsyan