Speaker of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan told reporters that neither he nor his son will be participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Babloyan said that he will be returninrg to his profession in the field of medicine and will not be participating in the elections so that younger people can participate. “I am 71 years old. The work I have done in politics is sufficient. I think that younger, but at the same time experienced and knowledgeable people need to participate. I think that there are plenty of them.”
Ara Babloyan shares Vigen Sargsyan’s view that the RPA should participate in the elections. As far as how he evaluates the RPA’s chances, he said, “The RPA has serious humanitarian and professional potential, and I think that that potential can be used in future developments.” When asked if it’s possible for the RPA to change and fix its mistakes, Babloyan said, “Why not? If we look at individuals such as Vigen Sargsyan for example, what flaws do we see? We can see that this person is educated and knowledgeable. If the RPA decides to change from the inside, then let me say that when I joined the RPA in 2012, I joined only because the party was fighting against monopolies and corruption. I was a member of the government and I was not a part of a political party. When I joined the National Assembly, I was already a member of a party. I didn’t join to hold a position. Positions weren’t for me to show that Ara Babloyan has some sort of official position, but instead for me to participate and help projects move forward.”
When asked what kind of opposition the RPA is, Babloyan answered that it will be an opposition force when it will be a minority. “When the elections are over, it will be clear who is in authority and who is the opposition.”
Hripsime Jebejyan
