Zeitung: Serj Sargsyan Left No Room for Tsarukyan

The newspaper "Zeitung" reports that there is information circulating in the media that the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukyan, has been summoned to Moscow for what is termed an opposition briefing. Tsarukyan has had meetings in Moscow with members of the United Russia party. Meanwhile, while he was in Moscow, his spokesperson in Yerevan, BHK MP Iveta Tonoyan, announced that the BHK would not join Vazgen Manukyan's "Vernatun" since it has its own agenda.

The BHK clearly understands that joining "Vernatun" would mean being 'merged,' as the party aims to be the main alternative to power in Armenia or a leading opposition force.

In this context, of course, the main competitor for the BHK is not "Vernatun." This is partly because "Vernatun" is, in essence, merely a gathering place where various forces will fight for positioning against each other. The BHK's main rival, judging by Serj Sargsyan's speech at the European People's Party (EPP) congress, is the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

In other words, the standoff between the BHK and the RPA will continue even after the revolution. Moreover, the public witnessed the first act of this standoff as early as the first weeks when the RPA-dominated parliament was discussing Nikol Pashinyan's government program. During these discussions, the BHK defended the revolution more than the Civil Contract Party would have.

It is highly likely that a second, and probably longer, act is expected soon, wherein the BHK and the RPA will attempt to clarify their relationships in the fight for the role of opposition leader. This may not represent the principal confrontation in the political landscape, but it will undoubtedly be one of the main 'battles,' with a noticeable emphasis on differing foreign policy vectors.

Serj Sargsyan's participation in the EPP congress effectively left no room for any other force—aside from the ruling one—to play a role in the European direction of Armenia’s internal life.

Furthermore, Gagik Tsarukyan may have been pushed even closer to Russia—a situation he may not have wanted, especially given his well-known experiences from 2014-15, which were perhaps not particularly sweet, alongside the understanding that he could be pushed towards Robert Kocharian from Russia.

For more details, see today’s newspaper issue.