Armenian defence chief, ex-deputy PM struggle to head ruling party board

Former Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan and Defence Minister Suren Papikyan are fighting hard for the post of chairman of the board of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party.

"September 18 is the next congress of the Civil Contract party, and hot passions are brewing in the Civil Contract party on the eve of the election of a new board. We were told that the election online platform of the Civil Contract is active 24 hours a day, and applicants for membership in the office share their programmes and ideas. MP Arsen Torosyan is in the lead of the 20 most active ones," Caliber.Az reports citing Armenia's Hraparak newspaper.

"Strange as it may seem, those who have ambitions to become the board chairman are more passive. The former deputy prime minister, candidate for Yerevan mayor Tigran Avinyan and Defence Minister Suren Papikyan are fighting a particularly fierce battle. They say their struggle is not public. They prefer to hold personal meetings with party members, and indirectly negotiate with members of territorial structures to obtain their votes.

The Civil Contract believes that, as usual, Pashinyan will decline the position of chairman of the management board and announce his resignation, which is the reason for the activity of candidates for chairman of the management board," the newspaper adds.