23:47, 11 June 2018

Change of power in Armenia intensifies political struggle in regions

The past local elections in Armenia have shown that candidates for community heads try to distance off from their membership in the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). The "Prosperous Armenia" Party seeks to seize new positions, while Nikol Pashinyan's "Civil Accord" Party has no support in villages, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

On May 8, as a result of the "velvet revolution", Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the oppositional parliamentary bloc "Elk", became the Prime Minister of Armenia. The ruling RPA declared itself an opposition.

Candidates for community heads have distanced themselves from the RPA, since the membership therein reduced their chances to win in the new political conditions, said Boris Navasardyan, the head of the Yerevan Press Club.

At the background of the spoiled RPA's image, the "Prosperous Armenia" Party is trying to capture new positions, Mr Navasardyan has noted.

After the change of power, candidates treat the RPA as a hopeless party, and are careful not to link themselves therewith, said Stepan Safaryan, a political observer.

During the voting on June 10, no violations were fixed, voters report.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent