From Armenia in brief: Armenia’s prime minister becomes member of ruling Republican Party

by M. T.

Published: Saturday November 21, 2009

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian, who as chairperson of the Central Bank of Armenia from 1998 to 2008 was nonpartisan, has joined the Republican Party of Armenia. Tigran Tadevosyan / Photolure.

Yerevan - According to Edward Sharmazanov, the spokesperson of the governing Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian applied to become a member of the RPA.

The RPA currently holds 65 seats in the country's National Assembly and many of the local self-government posts.

President Serge Sargsyan and Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan are also members of the RPA.

"I don't think that this should come as a surprise because Tigran Sarkisian is a representative of President Sargsyan's political team and the RPA's council supported his appointment as prime minister," Mr. Sharmazanov told RFE/RL.