YEREVAN. – The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) did not make a special political decision on attending Tuesday’s presidential inauguration. For our party, this was a National Assembly (NA) special—but at the same time regular—session, PAP NA Faction MP Vahan Babayan stated during a press conference on Thursday.   

“PAP did not have a formal position on this matter,” he added.

In Babayan’s words, there was a social demand for PAP Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan to become the president of the country. But considering the challenges Armenia faces, the party did not wish to drag the people into recurrent problems.

“We saw what happened on [Tuesday,] April 9 [in capital city Yerevan]. You should not resort to clashes. We have chosen a different path, an alternative road,” the PAP MP stressed, and added that there is a serious need for reforms in the country.     

As for the actions by opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian—who was declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote—, Babayan noted that Tuesday’s incidents showed that Hovannisian does not have a clearly planned political agenda.   

“You cannot leave the people [nearby downtown Yerevan’s Baghramyan Avenue] and go to Tsitsernakaberd [that is, the Armenian Genocide Memorial] to light a candle. The Armenian people are tired of theatrical performances, [and] therefore our party does not go out to the streets,” the Prosperous Armenia Party MP said, and added that they consider the Yerevan Council election—which is slated for May 5—to be an important phase in commencing reforms.