At a special summit of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) held today in Yerevan, Gagik Tsarukyan said he pulling out of politics and now longer has anything to do with the party.

Tsarukyan founded the BHK, the second largest in Armenia’s parliament, in 2004 and served as president ever since.

In his speech at the part conclave, Tsarukyan said he never traded the faith of the people for personal gain or position.

“All these years I have followed one simple and human aim, to see smiles and not tears on the faces of my people,” Tsarukyan said, adding that while he would be stepping down as BHK president and quitting active politics he would continue to assist Armenia and its people.

“This will be done in other sectors. I will continue to build churches, schools, sports arenas and continue to assist individuals in the sciences and culture. I will do this as an Armenian, a citizen of Armenia, as Gagik Tsarukyan.”

Tsarukyan recently ran afoul of President Sargsyan, the two trading barbed threats in public statements. Afterwards, the government launched a crack-down on various BHK officials for a variety of tax and other violations.

The tipping point came on February 13 when Tsarukyan, in response to a stinging attack by President Serzh Sargsyan against his person and political capabilities the day before,  upped the stakes by publicly calling for regime change via snap presidential elections.

“Today, I regard the most important work of my life to be liberating Armenia from this regime of evil,” Tsarukyan publicly stated that day.

The entire scenario ignited some two weeks prior when a BHK party activist was seized off a Yerevan street, pushed into a waiting car, and beaten quite severely.

The BHK laid full responsibility of the attack on the ruling Armenian Republican Party (HHK) government.