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DASHNAKS GET ANOTHER MINISTERIAL POST
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 17 2006
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) boosted
its presence in Armenia's government on Wednesday when one of its
leaders was named by President Robert Kocharian minister of science
and education.
Levon Mkrtchian, who has led the nationalist party's parliament
faction until now, replaced Sergo Yeritsian as a consequence of the
Orinats Yerkir party's expulsion from Kocharian's ruling coalition.
Yeritsian was sacked by Kocharian despite defecting from Orinats
Yerkir along with the two other ministers representing the party led
by Artur Baghdasarian, the outgoing parliament speaker. He is expected
to be given another, less important government post.
Orinats Yerkir has controlled the Armenian ministries of education,
urban development and culture under a power-sharing agreement which it
had signed with Kocharian, Dashnaktsutyun and Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian's Republican Party (HHK) three years ago.
Dashnaktsutyun had been given three other ministerial portfolios and
reportedly laid claim to the Education Ministry immediately after
Baghdasarian announced his exit from the coalition on Friday.
Mkrtchian, who already served as education minister in 1998-99 and
2001-03, emerged as the top contender for the job. Speaking to RFE/RL
on Tuesday, he did not deny that his appointment is imminent. "The idea
of taking over [the ministry] for a third time is not quite attractive
to me, but I am the kind of person who complies with party discipline,"
he said.
Mkrtchian indicated that Dashnaktsutyun will not claim the post of
parliament speaker when it formally becomes vacant next week. One
of the National Assembly's two deputy speakers, Tigran Torosian,
appears to be in pole position to succeed Baghdasarian.
The second vice-speaker, Vahan Hovannisian, is also a Dashnaktsutyun
leader.
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 17 2006
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) boosted
its presence in Armenia's government on Wednesday when one of its
leaders was named by President Robert Kocharian minister of science
and education.
Levon Mkrtchian, who has led the nationalist party's parliament
faction until now, replaced Sergo Yeritsian as a consequence of the
Orinats Yerkir party's expulsion from Kocharian's ruling coalition.
Yeritsian was sacked by Kocharian despite defecting from Orinats
Yerkir along with the two other ministers representing the party led
by Artur Baghdasarian, the outgoing parliament speaker. He is expected
to be given another, less important government post.
Orinats Yerkir has controlled the Armenian ministries of education,
urban development and culture under a power-sharing agreement which it
had signed with Kocharian, Dashnaktsutyun and Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian's Republican Party (HHK) three years ago.
Dashnaktsutyun had been given three other ministerial portfolios and
reportedly laid claim to the Education Ministry immediately after
Baghdasarian announced his exit from the coalition on Friday.
Mkrtchian, who already served as education minister in 1998-99 and
2001-03, emerged as the top contender for the job. Speaking to RFE/RL
on Tuesday, he did not deny that his appointment is imminent. "The idea
of taking over [the ministry] for a third time is not quite attractive
to me, but I am the kind of person who complies with party discipline,"
he said.
Mkrtchian indicated that Dashnaktsutyun will not claim the post of
parliament speaker when it formally becomes vacant next week. One
of the National Assembly's two deputy speakers, Tigran Torosian,
appears to be in pole position to succeed Baghdasarian.
The second vice-speaker, Vahan Hovannisian, is also a Dashnaktsutyun
leader.