Yesterday evening, just one day before the mayor’s annual meeting in Haraparar, Aram Sargsyan, the son of Vazgen Sargsyan, was engaged in discussions with members of the Yerevan Municipality regarding his involvement in the “Republic” Party and the EPP. During the meeting, several important topics were raised, one of which focused on the authority of the heads of regional administrations. As you may recall, the EPP had previously planned to collaborate with the government, ultimately leading to the removal of three regional administration heads and one deputy mayor through coalition action. Now, the EPP has proposed changes to the authority of the heads of regional administrations, aiming to transfer their responsibilities to the staff of the Yerevan Municipality. However, “The Republic” Party strongly opposes this approach, and the discussion serves as a signal to mayors who have already expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed change.

Simultaneously, on the same day, another discussion arose surrounding a construction project review by the Yerevan Municipality. It was discovered that certain management decisions did not align with the qualifications of the respective departments, but rather with the responsibilities of high-ranking officials. Speaking to our reliable sources, it became evident that members of the EPP had raised concerns regarding this project earlier. Yesterday evening, they sought further clarification and ultimately decided to withdraw from the coalition. The process of resigning from their positions has already commenced, with hopes that the leadership will reconsider their stance. The EPP has already requested a follow-up discussion to address and resolve the issue.

We had the opportunity to speak with Ani Khachatryan, a member of the “Republic” Party, who shed light on the matter. Khachatryan emphasized, “We consistently hold meetings to address all issues in an orderly manner. Although I did not directly participate in this particular project, as it was accompanied by a special recommendation, upon thorough examination and evaluation, a decision was made to discontinue our involvement. Our primary inquiry focused on the selection of heads of regional administrations, questioning whether the authority should reside with mayors or the city hall. Unfortunately, our discussion did not yield positive progress in terms of reducing the authority of the heads of regional administrations.”

Stay tuned for further updates in today’s morning news from Armenia on NEWS.am.