YEREVAN. – “Nothing hampers the [ruling Republican Party] RPA,” the latter’s spokesperson and Armenian National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov stated in response to Aravot daily’s query as to whether if Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan were to run for next year’s presidential elections, this would hamper RPA, the daily reports.   

“RPA will nominate its [presidential] candidate during its congress on December 15 and, in Sharmazanov’s conviction, trust is maintained within RPA that [its chairman and incumbent President] Serzh Sargsyan will be reelected.   

To our question: ‘What if the opposition consolidates around the PAP’s candidate?’, Sharmazanov countered: ‘The opposition was consolidating during the parliamentary elections, too. Also, I don’t think the entire oppositional spectrum should consolidate around one person. [But] The body politic has consolidated around the authorities and the President,’” Aravot writes.