Styopa Safaryan
Founder & head of research programmes of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs

By Luiza SUKIASYAN

“Since Serzh Sargsyan has not ruled out his perspective of becoming a Prime Minister after 2018, an important question arises whether he will see Karen Karapetyan off after the parliamentary elections and later. The RPA Congress answered this question: until the end of the term of Serzh Sargsyan’s power in 2018, Serzh Sargsyan appoints Karen Karapetyan a stand in for him and as to what he will do after the end of his term in office, the question remains open,” said political scientist Styopa Safaryan to Aravot.am, referring to statements voiced in the RPA Congress that in the case of obtaining a vote of confidence in the nearest parliamentary elections, Karen Karapetyan will be nominated as a candidate for the RPA prime minister. In his description, Serzh Sargsyan has made an important move for him, “He has reduced the risks associated with the acute struggle for being a prime minister inside the team. Serzh Sargsyan has once seen it in the face of Hovik Abrahamyan’s and Tigran Sargsyan’s struggle. In addition, Serzh Sargsyan eased the Russian threats for him. In the past, in the form of Armenian players and directly especially in 2013-2014, it was shown that Tigran Sargsyan is an unwanted Prime Minister and Serzh Sargsyan keeps him literally. Now, it seems that Serzh Sargsyan should not have fears of the political forces with Russian orientation because if they try to come out against the government, it would turn out that they want to come out against Tigran Karapetyan, a “man of Moscow”.”