During the March 22 session of the NA Standing Committee on European Integration, speaking of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments spokesperson Anna Ohanyan, Gayane Abrahamyan, member of the “My Step” faction said that Ms. Ohanyan “had served the Republican Party for years, being a member of the party”.
The MP addressed the Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan, in particular, expressing concern over the insufficient awareness-raising on the results of the Ministry’s activities.
In response to the rumors on this topic, Anna Ohanyan confirmed that she was a member of the RPA but froze her membership in the party because “Yes, politically and professionally it would not be correct”.
Republican Party Vice-Chairman Armen Ashotyan, in his turn, wrote on his Facebook page that according to Gayane Abrahamyan’s logic, six ministers of the current government also worked “for the RPA”. According to Ashotyan, they are Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan, Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan, Minister of Emergency Situations Felix Tsolakyan and Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan.
However, it is worth noting that none of these six ministers were RPA members. The only one that had a direct connection with the Republican Party is Felix Tsolakyan. The latter, being non-partisan, was member of the RPA faction in the National Assembly.
In fact, Ashotyan distorted Abrahamyan’s words since the latter did not mean being a government official but member of the party.