Armenian vice-speaker confirms president and tycoon party leader have met

According to earlier media reports, the president met with Tsarukian, the sides reached certain compromise. 

“There has been a meeting, and the respective agreements were made at the end”, Naghdalyan told reporters on Thursday, after the meeting of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) executive body meeting. 

Whatever was agreed is reflected in the actions taken today, she said. 

“The Prosperous Armenia party (PAP) made a statement on this, and there will be certain steps taken in the parliament in this respect next week,” Naghdalyan said. 

PAP had scheduled a rally, together with the other opposition forces, the Armenian National Congress and Heritage Party, for February 20, but cancelled the rally later. Tsarukyan urged his countrymen to settle all problems through peaceful, legal and political means. 

Speaking on February 12 at a meeting of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, president Serzh Sargsyan criticized harshly the leader of Prosperous Armenia party tycoon Gagik Tsarukian and said Tsarukian, as a political actor, is an evil for the country. The president signed a decree withdrawing Tsarukian from the national security council due to his systematic failure to attend the council meetings. The president also instructed to look into cases of the tycoon’s absence in the parliament sessions and the rumors about his tax evasion. 

The leader of the Prosperous Armenia, in turn, said the reason for the president’s statements is his refusal to contribute to the reproduction of the political power through a constitutional reform. In particular, the tycoon said he refused to become a president after the country turns to parliamentary form through constitutional amendments. –0--