Armenian president dismisses leader of National Security Council

Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, has lost his post as a member of the National Security Council of Armenia and chairman of the council of the Physical Education and Sports Institute aftet being condemned by President Serzh Sargsyan. Speaker of Parliament Galust Saakyan has filed a note to the CEC demanding the party leader’s dismissal from the parliament. Armen Ashotyan, deputy head of the Republican Party, the minister for education and science, has accused Tsarukyan of declaring war on the country and called him an oligophrenic, a threat to the country, a project created in 2004-2005. 

Andrey Areshev, the editor-in-chief of Kavkazoved.info, an expert of the Strategic Culture Foundation, noted that the internal political struggle in Armenia was escalating. He reminded that the Prosperous Armenia Party had organized a series of mass protests in October 2014. The expert doubts that Tsarukyan’s case will have any serious repercussions. 

Alexander Markarov, the director of the Armenian branch of the Institute of CIS Countries, said that the Republican Party was trying to determine the development of events in light of the upcoming elections. He reminded about proposals to start constitutional reform that would switch to the parliamentary republic, the Prosperous Armenia Party is opposed to the reform. Markarov considers the attack on Tsarukyan an attempt by the Republican Party to influence the political process as a whole. 

Aram Manukyan, an MP of the Armenian National Congress, associates the case with the tense political, economic and social situation. Manukyan admitted that the Armenian National Congress will encourage the population to demand early elections. Concerning rumours that Sargsyan is actually struggling with second President Robert Kocharyan, backed by Tsarukyan, Areshev proposed waiting for an official response from Kocharyan. He reminded that the ex-president was not a member of any party, though many agreed that he was one of the people standing at its origins. The expert added that it was too hasty to speculate about Kocharyan’s return to politics. Manukyan believes that Kocharyan plays absolutely no role in the current internal political situation and has nothing to do with the current developments.

Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, has lost his post of a member of the National Security Council of Armenia and chairman of the council of the Physical Education and Sports Institute since being condemned by President Serzh Sargsyan. Speaker of Parliament Galust Saakyan has filed a note to the CEC demanding the party leader’s dismissal from the parliament.Armen Ashotyan, deputy head of the Republican Party, the minister for education and science, has accused Tsarukyan of declaring war on the country and called him an oligophrenic, a threat to the country, a project created in 2004-2005.Andrey Areshev, the editor-in-chief of Kavkazoved.info, an expert of the Strategic Culture Foundation, noted that the inner political struggle in Armenia was escalating. He reminded that the Prosperous Armenia Party had organized a set of mass protests in October 2014. The expert doubts that Tsarukyan’s case would have any serious repercussions.Alexander Markarov, the director of the Armenian branch of the Institute of CIS Countries, said that the Republican Party was trying to determine development of the events in the light of the upcoming elections. He reminded about proposals to start a constitutional reform that would switch to the parliamentary republic, the Prosperous Armenia Party is opposed to the reform. Markarov considers the attack on Tsarukyan an attempt of the Republican Party to influence the political process as a whole.Aram Manukyan, an MP of the Armenian National Congress, associates the case with the tense political, economic and social situation. Manukyan admitted that the Armenian National Congress will encourage the population to demand off-year elections.Concerning rumours that Sargsyan is actually struggling with second President Robert Kocharyan, backed by Tsarukyan, Areshev proposed waiting for an official response from Kocharyan. He reminded that the ex-president was not a member of any party, though many agreed that he was one of the people standing at its origins. The expert added that it was too hasty to speculate about Kocharyan’s return to politics. Manukyan believes that Kocharyan plays absolutely no role in the current interior political situation and has nothing to do with the current developme