Sharmazanov: New political situation is ripe in Armenia

Not everyone is aware of the new political situation emerging in Armenia. President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement to the effect that he will not run for president anymore in reality announced the new rules of game, which have not been fully perceived yet, the parliamentary vice speaker Edward Sharmazanov said during a briefing in the National Assembly today.

In his words, the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) will continue to play a decisive role in Armenia according to the rules to be adopted as part of constitutional reforms.

“This paragraph concentrates and predetermines a new political reality which is being dictated today for the future decade. The political arena shifts to a model of network horizontal governance: henceforth the role of one person in the state administration hierarchy will decline, while the role of political parties will sharply increase. Those figures who failed to realize this reality are now going all out to try to find their position in the future – which is only laughable,” Sharmazanov noted.

According to him, the head of state clearly expressed his conviction that the viewpoint of HHK Party - rather than the viewpoint of a person, a famous former or future figure - will be decisive in the coming years.

“In the next decade, the party will obviously remain the leading one by its scale and its orderliness and political resources. In his statement, Serzh Sargsyan clearly said that HHK is the main, if not the only path of the aspiration to the post of head of state for those figures who see themselves in the top echelons of state administration and if anyone aspires to the post of president or prime minister in the next few years, then this path is through HHK. What is the notability of this point? Its notability lies in Serzh Sargsyan’s self-exclusion which means that the field is open and competitive, but competition is first of all within HHK,” Sharmazanov said.

In his words, in the coming years these processes will result in qualitatively new take-offs of the party that will play first fiddle on the political scene.