Armenian PM wants to strengthen ruling party with new regional structures

The fourth political forum of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party will be held in Jermuk on June 22.

The venue may be changed, as the ruling party fears that supporters of the revanchist movement may spoil the event for them, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Armenian newspaper Hraparak.

"At the forum, Pashinyan intends to create regional structures of the State Duma, as [former president] Serzh Sargsyan once did in the case of the Republican Party. In this way, Pashinyan will try to make intra-party governance more centripetal," the newspaper writes.

The publication does not rule out that governors will head regional structures. At present, the territorial structures operate with little or no control and often fight among themselves.

According to the newspaper, although the party regulations stipulate that only members of the Civic Contract council, which includes a relatively narrow circle of people, will participate in the forum, this time it was decided to invite all MPs from the party. By doing so, the prime minister wants to retain their favour.