YEREVAN. – In the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan is the person who is responsible for the upcoming local self-government elections. Therefore he is the person in charge of the victories of RPA members—and, in Gyumri city, of RPA-backed mayoral candidate Samvel Balasanyan—in the elections that will be held Sunday in numerous communities, Zhamanak daily writes.   

“What’s noteworthy is that the RPA members will run against [other] RPA members in several communities. According to some information, there is a battle of influence among the RPA wings; each wing wants to have its candidate win. 

‘RPA has no wings; this is healthy competition. We allow them to have the opportunity to make a choice,” RPA Vice Chairman Galust Sahakyan stated in response to Zhamanak’s question,” Zhamanak writes.