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Armenian president to stay on sidelines in upcoming elections: RP spokesperson

Xinhua, March 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Head of Armenia's ruling Republican party (RP) and the country's president Serzh Sargsyan will be largely passive during the electoral campaign in the run up to the April 2 parliamentary elections, said the RP spokesperson, Vice-Speaker of parliament, Eduard Sharmazanov on Wednesday.

According to Sharmazanov, Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will be the main driving force and the face of the ruling party's campaign.

The announcement leaves room for speculations that President Sargsyan is grooming Karapetyan as his successor once his second presidential term comes to an end in April of 2018.

Armenia has been transitioning to a parliamentary system of governance following the constitutional referendum in December of 2015.

In accordance with the new changes, starting from April of 2018, the post of the president will become chiefly ceremonial, while the prime minister will be heading the executive branch of government and become the de facto leader of the country. Endite