The speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Galust Sahakyan, has commissioned to examine the NA session absences by MP Gagik Tsarukyan, who is chairman of the non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP).

Ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) NA Faction Head Vahram Baghdasaryan told about the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He added that it was instructed to investigate Tsarukyan’s absences from the parliamentary sessions and their grounds, whereupon the NA chairman will make a respective decision.

Separately, NA Information and Public Relations Department Head Arsen Babayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that Sahakyan has commissioned the staff to examine, as quickly as possible, the absences of all MPs.

The NA speaker is empowered to decide whether or not the MPs’ absences from the parliamentary sessions are excusable. If the head of the parliament decides that the absences of a given MP are inexcusable, he petitions to the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia, and with a request to strip the parliamentary mandate of the given deputy.

As reported earlier, speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the RPA Board, President Serzh Sargsyan, who is also chairman of the RPA Board, had stated that PAP Chairman, MP Gagik Tsarukyan the political player had become a vice for the country. 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 sessions of the National Assembly.

In response to President Sargsyan’s remarks, Gagik Tsarukyan on Friday stated that the incumbent authorities must be removed from power immediately. Reflecting on Sargsyan having him removed from the NSC, the PAP leader noted that he had not formally left this council earlier solely because of the President’s personal human request. As for the plans to strip him of his parliamentary mandate, Tsarukyan said the important thing for him is the trust of the Armenian citizens, and therefore he possesses the most important mandate. In addition, the Prosperous Armenia Party chairman urged to achieve Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation by way of lawful political methods.