YEREVAN. - Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan cannot be ordinary members of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). 

RPA Spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov told the aforementioned to reporters after the party’s Executive Body session held on Friday.

According to him, this was the last Executive Body session with the current composition, during which issues related to the congress slated for Saturday were discussed.  “The Party President presented his position to the Executive Body representatives. We also discussed policy and regulation changes. [At the congress] Serzh Sargsyan will deliver a policy speech, referring to the party-building activities and the need to work more openly with the public and partners,” Sharmazanov said.

Referring to the membership of the Premier and Defense Minister, Sharmazanov noted that they cannot be ordinary RPA members. “Karen Karapetyan and Vigen Sargsyan will be the key representatives of the RPA supreme staff. After Karen Karapetyan joined the party—and parallel with this—7,000 citizens also joined the RPA.”

In addition, the RPA Spokesman stressed that there will be changes in the Executive Body and that it will not have the same form, however he declined to elaborate on this.   “There will be no surprises: the Executive Body will be replenished with new members who will have a very serious role,” Sharmazanov said, stressing that he would like the Premier and Defense Minister to be included in the Executive Body.

To the question as to why the one-day Republicans are included in the Executive Body instead of the old ones, the Spokesman recalled footballers, noting that Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid not to sit on the substitute bench, but to play as a forward.  

He also added that there is only one candidate for the post of the RPA Spokesman, who is Serzh Sargsyan. Sharmazanov expressed confidence that exactly Sargsyan will be elected.