RPA: Gagik Beglaryan’s resignation is political decision, but not punishment

PanARMENIAN.Net - Head of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) parliamentary group Galust Sahakyan said that the incident between ex-mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan and employee of the presidential staff’s protocol department Aram Kandayan is a sad phenomenon for the ruling RPA.

“I cannot comment on how the incident will affect the RPA’s reputation, but we should behave ourselves, as in civilized countries,” Sahakyan told journalists in the parliament.

Asked whether the ex-mayor of Yerevan would have resigned, if an ordinary citizen were instead of the employee of the presidential staff’s protocol department, Sahakyan said: “In my opinion, Beglaryan would have been punished more severely. However, the mayor’s resignation was a political decision, but not a punishment. Seeing that the incident caused problems, he has resigned.”

Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan resigned his position on December 8. The decision was prompted by the incident between the Mayor and employee of the presidential staff’s protocol department Aram Kandayan.

The incident occurred on December 3, at Yerevan-hosted concert of Spanish tenor Placido Domingo. Beglaryan’s spouse and her friend took seats next to that of Armenian President’s, which, according to the protocol, are meant for the Catholicos of All Armenians, parliamentary speaker and Armenia’s Prime Minister. Aram Kandayan asked Beglaryan’s wife to change her seat.

However, Mrs. Beglaryan, outraged by the request, complained about it to her husband, who, in turn, asked the head of the presidential staff Karen Karapetyan to set up a meeting with Kandayan. Beglaryan drove Kandayan to the territory of Metaks factory, which belongs to the ex-mayor, and severely beat him.

On December 9, Spokesman for the Armenian President Armen Arzumanyan told journalists that the incident, indeed, took place. However, according to him, there was neither abduction, nor severe beating.