Haykakan Zhamanak: Armenian President pledged to put an end to oligarchy

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan pledged to put an end to oligarchy, Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper reported, citing governmental sources.

According to the report, the President promised the West to end the oligarchy, singling out Samvel Aleksanyan and Ruben Hayrapetyan as next in turn after former Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan. However, issues inside the coalition, caused by Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s refusal to sign a coalition memorandum promising support to Sargsyan at the next presidential election, forced the President to temporary abandon his plans.

The newspaper also focused on the conflict between Gagk Tsarukyan and Armenia’s National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan which occurred during the discussion of coalition memorandum.

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.