ABOVYAN. – The consecration ceremony of the newly built Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (Saint John the Baptist) Church in Armenia’s Abovyan city ended just recently.

The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) MPs that attended the event, however, did not comment on Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan’s statement that, “PAP cannot become an opposition.”  

Separately, second President Robert Kocharyan, who likewise was on hand at the aforesaid ceremony, noted that he liked the church very much and he left.

Tsarukyan—with whose financial contribution the church was built—welcomed the attendees. To the query as to whether PAP could join the ruling coalition, he responded as follows:

“If we were to enter the coalition, we would have done that after [the capital city Yerevan Council of Elders election that was conducted on] May 5.”