ArmInfo. Former Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan leaves the Republican Party of Armenia, however he will continue to work in politics in the benefit of the state and the nation, he wrote about this on his official page in Facebook.
"I have taken one of the most important and complex decisions in my life and I state that I quit my membership in the RPA. I have thought a lot prior to making such a decision, as I have devoted significant part of my life- nearly 20 years, to the party. I am grateful to all the party members, all the former and incumbent state officials, former and acting heads of regional, rural and municipal administrations, citizens for joint work and success achieved via joint efforts. Undoubtedly, my position in the RPA will not remain unoccupied, new people will enter it, maybe smarter and more goal oriented than me, however I would like them to be such patriots as I am. I leave the RPA but I will continue to work in active politics, as I am sure that I have the needed energy, knowledge and experience to serve our state and nation. I will continue to live and work for Armenia", he stressed.
ArmInfo has earlier reported citing its sources in the RPA that Abrahamyan has recently taken a decision to leave the RPA following his meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. ArmInfo previously reported about that meeting, citing its own sources. Abrahamyan confirmed that information, however, he noted that the meeting did not cover political issues. Nevertheless, ArmInfo's sources in the RPA claim that it was Medvedev that advised Abrahamyan to leave the party after the ex-prime minister complained that his position in the RPA has seriously weakened. Medvedev advised Abrahamyan to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections as a member of the Gagik Tsarukyan bloc. On returning to Armenia, Abrahamyan met with some prominent RPA representatives and tried to persuade them to leave the RPA and join the Gagik Tsarukyan bloc. The details of the talks are not clear, however, Abrahamyan himself has submitted a notice to leave the party and then met with Tsarukyan to discuss his inclusion in the Gagik Tsarukyan bloc. The latter rejected Abrahamyan's request, saying that the electorate will not welcome his in- law's inclusion in the bloc.