RPA rep: Armenian president 'will remain our leader' after 2018

PanARMENIAN.Net - Deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov has said that president Serzh Sargsyan "will remain our leader after 2018."

In a conversation with the RFE/RL Armenian Service, Sharmazanov on Sunday, October 22 said that Sargsyan is the 'indisputable leader of the Republicans."

Commenting on the president's earlier remarks that 'one and the same person should not take the helm of the country more than twice,' Sharmazanov said the system of government has now changed, and no person can single-handedly rule the country anymore.

Asked to name three indicators of progress that Armenia has achieved under president Sargsyan, the lawmaker first cited the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by a number of states and the fact that the country has maintained 'high security standards both in Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh)'.

"Second, Armenia is now exporting security, having by now turned into a whole different player in the region," Sharmazanov said.

"Third, at the economic and geopolitical crossroads, where many challenges faced Armenia, it has managed to maintain stability."

In the interview, the RPA lawmaker failed to address the issue of poverty and low living standards in the country, as well as a number of unkept promises.