YEREVAN. – Gagik Tsarukyan continues his parliamentary activities as a non-party MP elected with the majoritarian system.

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) ex-Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan’s spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan told the aforementioned, in response to a query by Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Gagik Tsarukyan announced that he will no longer engage in active politics, he is renouncing his powers as PAP Chairman and PAP Faction Head in the NA [i.e. National Assembly], and he no longer has anything to do with the PAP; this also implies termination of party affiliation.   

“To be honest, I don’t possess the technical details; that is, whether or not a petition was written on terminating party affiliation, but Gagik Tsarukyan has informed about this to the PAP Political Board,” Tonoyan added.

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 then-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 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 issued a statement, on February 13, noting that the incumbent authorities must be removed from power immediately. In addition, he urged to achieve Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation by way of lawful political methods.

On February 17, however, Serzh Sargsyan and Gagik Tsarukyan held a brokered talk, and on the next day, the then-PAP leader issued a milder statement. He also called off the rally that was slated for February 20.

And on March 5, Tsarukyan announced that he is quitting active politics, PAP National Assembly Faction Secretary Naira Zohrabyan was elected new leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, and she declared the latter—which had been a non-pro-government force—an opposition party. Subsequently, however, numerous members have started quitting the party.