YEREVAN. – “When the inquiries are completed, we will discuss and we will speak about it at that time,” National Assembly (NA) Speaker Galust Sahakyan said with respect to non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan’s absences from the NA sessions, Zhamanak daily reported.

“According to our information, the NA staff has already completed the inquiries, and the NA chairman will submit a respective record to the CEC [i.e. the Central Electoral Commission] within the week.  

“According to the news that has reached us, aside from the PAP leader, 4 more PAP MPs will be stripped of their [parliamentary] mandate in the future, [and] on the grounds of more than half absences [from the NA sessions]  

“According to information, Karapet Guloyan, who is Tsarukyan’s in-law, also will be stripped of the mandate,” Zhamanak wrote.

As reported earlier, speaking at the February 12 meeting of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Board, President Serzh Sargsyan, who is also chairman of the RPA Board, had stated that PAP Chairman, MP and oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan had become a vice for the country as a political player. He also relieved the PAP leader from his status as a National Security Council (NSC) member, and promised that a process will begin in connection with Tsarukyan’s frequent absence from the parliament sessions.