Has the time to change the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia come and wasn’t the discontent expressed by President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in the Cabinet on September 15 a hint of “getting rid” of Tigran Sargsyan? www.aravot.am asked Hrant Bagratyan, a member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) parliamentary group and a former Prime Minister, these questions. “I don’t know whether they will change the Prime Minister or not, but this consultation means another thing – Serzh Sargsyan stated that if something good is done in the country, it is him. He stated that the Prime Minister shouldn’t appear as the one who fights against big business, that’s him too. He stated that he had understood their bluffs. So basically what we have been saying for the past 4-5 years.
“The novelty here was that the President sees the Prime Minister at the top of corruption. He said that he wasn’t stupid, he was displeased with them, the corruption was inside. Now I don’t know whether he would change the Prime Minister or not, time will tell,” Mr. Bagratyan replied.
In his words, the ANC has talked many times about the corruption in the field of public purchases, which was mentioned during the consultation, “How many times have we raised that issue of tenders? Or about those project implementation offices… When we said that, people mocked at us on H1, what shall we go and say to H1? It has turned out that we were right. Soon the fact that the budget deficit is 8 percent will also prove correct; they bring, show and say ‘praise us.’ We will be right in this case too.”
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In response to our question whether Serzh Sargsyan’s popularity would grow, if the Prime Minister was changed, taking into account that the presidential election would take place in a few months, Mr. Bagratyan said, “No doubt, that issue will be clear within 2-3 months too. The question is whom the President will appoint the Prime Minister instead of him. There is no point in firing the Prime Minister after the election, but it is doubtful whether Serzh Sargsyan will be elected. The state of the country is not good, if the President takes the right step, certainly, his popularity will grow. They are just lying, I will prove that there is no economic growth, they present all the economic data inaccurately. If they have deceived me, they will deceive the President too. Certainly, Serzh Sargsyan is at the top of that all, he is responsible, but there is also a backroom – there are many things that the President is not aware of.”
Nelly BABAYAN
