YEREVAN. - Hayots Ashkharh daily conducted an interview with Gagik Minasyan, ruling coalition’s Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) MP, and the following is an excerpt:  

The “most urgent” topic being discussed these days within the media and political circles are the recent shifts in the key positions of authority. Are these changes dictated by the need to make the system of governance effective, or is the “power resource” being strengthened prior to the elections?    

I do not believe all this should be observed in one chain. If you are speaking about Hovik Abrahamyan, the National Assembly (NA) Speaker explained the motives for his resignation.

{And] with respect to [the resignations of] the Police Chief and the Mayor, I can say what I have read in the press; I have nothing more to add. I see no link among the resignations of the Police Chief, [capital] Yerevan’s Mayor, and NA Speaker.  

Certain commentators hastened to link these dismissals to[Armenia’s First President and opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) leader] Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s published list, where  the resignations of [Yerevan Mayor Karen] Karapetyan and [Police Chief] Alik Sargsyan were noted, [saying] as if the President is “meeting” ANC’s demands.     

I believe no one has forgotten that the most crucial official on Ter-Petrosyan’s published list was the Republic’s President himself. That is, all this has nothing to do with ANC’s preferences, demands, or wishes.