Vardan Ghukasyan to Leave the Prosperous Armenia Party?

The newspaper "Hraparak" writes: "As part of the government’s plan to dismantle the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), law enforcement agencies are busy digging into the past of BHK members, looking for grounds for criminal cases, including former Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasyan.

We asked Ghukasyan, "Is it possible you will also leave the BHK?" He responded: "Think about Azerbaijan, kids are dying at the border, think about that. The BHK is an Armenian party; why do you want to eliminate it? The nation has serious problems; you are chasing after BHK." We are not chasing, Mr. Ghukasyan, but rather the authorities are. "I am saying this for everyone," he added. "It’s a velvet revolution, right? Let’s live well. If that Azerbaijani is silent, it’s not for nothing; they are scheming something with the Turks. Think about that, or else we are people who speak the same language." Now do you exclude the possibility of leaving the BHK if you are pressured by criminal cases? "Don’t you know me? Don’t you know who I am? ... People know me. The criminal cases are not around me; look for them elsewhere."

More details in today’s issue of the newspaper.