At the 12th Congress of the RPA party the RA President and the RPA chairman Serzh Sargsyan announced that starting from anti-crisis measures ending with the Armenia-Turkey protocols he presented and discussed all the key issues with the RPA members. “Frankly said, those were the most difficult tests for the developed initiatives. This is the right way because the accountability within the party is necessary to avoid further mistakes,” stated Sargsyan. The president further described his party, which has a clear majority in parliament and controls most central and local government bodies, as “the main pillar of the restored Armenian statehood.” “The party must become a model of the Armenia which we want to build,” he declared. “The authority of such a party is undisputed, its strength unstoppable, and its victory a positive change for Armenia.” On the other hand, almost everybody was sure that after becoming chair of the RPA Serzh Sargsyan had made a unanimous decision regarding the party and hardly ever the opinion of the party members was discussed. Even if some of the initiatives or decisions were submitted to the party to be discussed the final decision had already been made. Of course, during discussions are opinions were heard as well. However, according to some Republicans Sargsyan was only listening to them as some RPA members are saying just to remember. And as some Republican party members are saying (without mentioning their names) there are almost no objectors or opponents to these hearings or discussions. “The RPA is not a leader’s party. The RPA doesn’t belong to Serzh Sargsyan. Serzh Sargsyan is simply an RPA member,” during the Congress stated Sargsyan. Nevertheless, does the RPA object any decision brought up Serzh Sargsyan? Yesterday we spoke with Galust Sahakyan and Razmik Zohrabyan, who are among the founders of the RPA and have worked with all the RPA members – Ashot Navasardyan, Vazgen Sargsyan, Andranik Margaryan and Serzh Sargsyan. According to them all the key issues of the country are discussed by the leadership of the RPA and consented with the supreme body of the party. “Any recommendation is discussed and in some cases certain things are changing. The main principles are decided already and based on that we organize hearings or discussions,” answered short Galust Sahakyan, who is the deputy-chair of general issues within the party. And Razmik Zohrabyan in charge of financial issues said that Sargsyan is asking everybody’s opinion and drawing conclusions from that in order to “make a wise decision.” “Even in his speech he mentioned that one needs to listen to 100 smart people and opinions and only after that make the right decision. In this regard he has a very democratic approach but it is his role to make the final decision,” said Zohrabyan. As of the foreign policy, NKR conflict and Armenia-Turkey relations then according to Zohrabyan the president informs as much they need to know. Has there been any case when a decision of the president would be objected within the party? It turns out no. Last year the RPA party left one of its founders, former NA chairman Tigran Torosyan. His party made a decision about his resignation from the chairman’s post. There were rumors that some top RPA members try to be against the resignation of their party comrade. But Sargsyan didn’t change his mind and the members of the party didn’t have an alternate but to agree with the chair of the party. Yesterday we reminded our interviewees of this event by asking whether this precedent doesn’t prove that the decisions of the party are made by Serzh Sargsyan. And so others have no choice but to agree with Sargsyan. “This was a process and not a consequence of voting. And it was going through the discussion phase. Torosyan is our friend and we were trying to find solutions with him but he picked another way. He made this choice,” said G. Sargsyan. “We have closed the question of Torosyan. And if I express opinions Torosyan will go ahead and respond to me. So this is a closed page. But at any rate, let me say that there are no eternal posts in the party or the state. You know what? The president is the top body of the party and if you object you automatically become opposition. So certain principles are violated. There was an agreement between Torosyan and Sargsyan, according to which Torosyan would chair the NA till the presidential elections. I think that the president didn’t violate the agreement. After this Congress I may even stop being a party deputy-chair,” said Zohrabyan. Before the Congress there was information that within the party there is certain tension. As a result of bylaw changes the executive body was moved forward, the main members of which arrived to the party together with S. Sargsyan or maybe later. Besides that, it is evident that in this party the role of deputy-chairs is minimized. Regardless of anything, at least several years ago the word of Sahakyan and Zohrabyan had certain weight. But now they have mostly become symbols for the party. They only conduct certain limited activities within the party and in fact they don’t participate in the decision-making process. And in general, in the RPA the previous customs don’t exist anymore. By the way, after Torosyan the post of one of the deputy-chairs remained vacant. Moreover, Torosyan was coordinating the political direction of the party. During the Congress this omission was not corrected and the same three vice-chairs were reappointed. But the chair of the political committee of the party was appointed the current NA chairman Hovik Abrahamyan. It means that Abrahamyan substituted Torosyan both at the NA and within the RPA. But he didn’t become a deputy-chair of the party. “This is a little sensitive issue. If the president didn’t nominate anyone then he didn’t find anyone appropriate,” comments Zohrabyan. Let us remember once again that together with S. Sargsyan the party admitted new members – businessmen and mildly said a big group consisting of political entities. During the past years this group was considered the semi-criminal wing of the RPA. Recently the party was replenished by the team of the prime minster and Tigran Sargsyan himself. They are considered the “intellectual reformers” for the party. It means that there are several groups within the RPA – the old members of the party, semi-criminal ones and intellectual reformers. Zohrabyan feels pretty normal about the existence of various groupings within the party. “These people didn’t come to this party just for nothing. They brought in new people there and are considered min-leaders for these groups. People know me since the 90s and based on my activity they still remain within the party. It means there are people, who are mini-leaders for the party. A strong leader unites these people. If someone tries to conduct a separatist activity he will be neutralized. Sargsyan perfectly succeeds in this. The more powerful people enter the party the more powerful the leader and he chair of the party should be in order to be able to make them work,” says Zohrabyan.
