YEREVAN. – Monday’s special meeting of the non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) National Assembly Faction has wrapped up. Faction member Mikayel Melkumyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that they had discussed organizational issues because the situation may change by the hour, and therefore they had conferred on the avenues for adequately responding to the situation.

“A variety of tactical matters were discussed depending on the course of events. There may be pickets, sit-ins, [and] hunger strikes. We are prepared for all scenarios of the development of events,” the PAP MP said.

Melkumyan also did not rule out the possibility that the PAP members would start sit-ins and hunger strikes if party leader Gagik Tsarukyan is stripped of his parliamentary mandate.

As reported earlier, speaking at the February 12 meeting of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Board, President Serzh Sargsyan, who is also chairman of the RPA Board, had stated that PAP Chairman, MP and oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan had become a vice for the country as a political player. 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 parliament sessions.

In response to President Sargsyan’s remarks, Gagik Tsarukyan stated, on February 13, 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 left this council earlier solely because of the President’s personal 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, but by way of lawful political methods.