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Inauguration 2013: One country, 'two leaders'
09:40 ¢ 09.04.13
Today is a presidential inauguration day in Armenia, an important
state event which follows presidential elections to mark the newly
elected state leader's swearing into office.
While the third republic is preparing for the six inaugural event, the
day is going to be of special importance, with the society expected to
see the two different ceremonies simultaneously.
Former opposition candidate Raffi Hovhannisian, who disputes the
official election outcome, is going to gather a crowd of supporters in
Yerevan's Liberty Square at midday to celebrate what he calls the
inauguration of his New Armenia.
In the meantime, Serzh Sargsyan will be sworn into his second second
term at the Yerevan Sports and Concert Complex.
According to the official voting results, the re-elected president
polled about 59% in the February 18 presidential election, as opposed
to Hovhannisian's 37%.
Presidential inaugurations in Armenia were held in the following succession.
First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan was sworn into office on November
11, 1991 at the session hall of Armenia's parliament (which was then
called the Supreme Council). The newly-independent Armenia not having
adopted a constitution yet, the elected president took oath with his
hand on a 7th Bible, which is now kept in the Matenadaran (Yerevan
Repository of ancient manuscripts) as a state symbol.
Ter-Petrosyan's second inauguration, held exactly five years later,
saw the re-elected president taking oath with one hand on the ancient
relic and the other hand ` on Armenia's Constitution (that was adopted
in a universal referendum in 1995).
Following the snap presidential election in 1998, a former president
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and an acting president of Armenia
following Ter-Petrosyan's resignation, Robert Kocharyan, became the
country's second leader. His swearing-in ceremony was held on April 9
at the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre, which five years later, again
hosted his inauguration event marking his second term in office.
Serzh Sargsyan's first term inauguration (2008) was also held at the
Opera House.
The text of the president's oath runs as follows, ``Assuming the
office of the President of the Republic of Armenia I swear to fulfill
the requirements of the Constitution in an unreserved manner, to
respect fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms, to ensure the
protection, independence, territorial integrity and security of the
Republic to the glory of the Republic of Armenia and to the welfare of
the people of the Republic of Armenia'' (Armenian Constitution,
Article 54).
This year's event is expected to bring together around 2,000 invitees,
including international delegations and representatives from about 60
countries around the world. The ceremony will be attended by President
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan, Secretary General of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolay Bordyuzha, Iranian
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, chief of the Russian presidential
staff, Sergey Ivanov, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the chief
of the Russian Presidential Administration's Secretariat, Andrey
Chobotov.
Other invitees include the president of the Russian state nuclear
energy corporation, Rosatom, Sergey Kirienko, a deputy foreign
minister of Russia, Sergey Karasin, a speaker of the British House of
Lords, Salterin Wallace, Assistant Secretary General for Public
Diplomacy at NATO, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Secretary General of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Permanent International Secretariat,
Victor Tvirku, Deputy president of Argentina Amado Boudou, Lebanon's
State Minister Marwan Kheireddin, a deputy speaker of the Czech
Republic's Senate, Alena Gajduskova, President of the Belarusian
National Assembly's House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko,
President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania Valeriu È`tefan Zgonea
and many others.
Resident and non-resident ambassadors from different countries
(including Russia and European states and international delegations)
are also expected to attend the event.
Despite such a geo-political representation, the domestic guests' list
is a little bit different.
Of the eight political forces represented at the National Sssembly,
only two ` the Rule of Law and Prosperous Armenia (partially) ` will
be present at the Sports and Concert Complex today. The other
parliamentary factions (the opposition Armenian National Congress,
Heritage and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun) will
not attend the event.
With the exception 1991, the outcomes of all other presidential
elections in Armenia have been widely disputed, with public uprisings
always preceding, following or coinciding with the inaugural events.
Armenian News - Tert.am
09:40 ¢ 09.04.13
Today is a presidential inauguration day in Armenia, an important
state event which follows presidential elections to mark the newly
elected state leader's swearing into office.
While the third republic is preparing for the six inaugural event, the
day is going to be of special importance, with the society expected to
see the two different ceremonies simultaneously.
Former opposition candidate Raffi Hovhannisian, who disputes the
official election outcome, is going to gather a crowd of supporters in
Yerevan's Liberty Square at midday to celebrate what he calls the
inauguration of his New Armenia.
In the meantime, Serzh Sargsyan will be sworn into his second second
term at the Yerevan Sports and Concert Complex.
According to the official voting results, the re-elected president
polled about 59% in the February 18 presidential election, as opposed
to Hovhannisian's 37%.
Presidential inaugurations in Armenia were held in the following succession.
First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan was sworn into office on November
11, 1991 at the session hall of Armenia's parliament (which was then
called the Supreme Council). The newly-independent Armenia not having
adopted a constitution yet, the elected president took oath with his
hand on a 7th Bible, which is now kept in the Matenadaran (Yerevan
Repository of ancient manuscripts) as a state symbol.
Ter-Petrosyan's second inauguration, held exactly five years later,
saw the re-elected president taking oath with one hand on the ancient
relic and the other hand ` on Armenia's Constitution (that was adopted
in a universal referendum in 1995).
Following the snap presidential election in 1998, a former president
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and an acting president of Armenia
following Ter-Petrosyan's resignation, Robert Kocharyan, became the
country's second leader. His swearing-in ceremony was held on April 9
at the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre, which five years later, again
hosted his inauguration event marking his second term in office.
Serzh Sargsyan's first term inauguration (2008) was also held at the
Opera House.
The text of the president's oath runs as follows, ``Assuming the
office of the President of the Republic of Armenia I swear to fulfill
the requirements of the Constitution in an unreserved manner, to
respect fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms, to ensure the
protection, independence, territorial integrity and security of the
Republic to the glory of the Republic of Armenia and to the welfare of
the people of the Republic of Armenia'' (Armenian Constitution,
Article 54).
This year's event is expected to bring together around 2,000 invitees,
including international delegations and representatives from about 60
countries around the world. The ceremony will be attended by President
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan, Secretary General of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization Nikolay Bordyuzha, Iranian
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, chief of the Russian presidential
staff, Sergey Ivanov, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the chief
of the Russian Presidential Administration's Secretariat, Andrey
Chobotov.
Other invitees include the president of the Russian state nuclear
energy corporation, Rosatom, Sergey Kirienko, a deputy foreign
minister of Russia, Sergey Karasin, a speaker of the British House of
Lords, Salterin Wallace, Assistant Secretary General for Public
Diplomacy at NATO, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Secretary General of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Permanent International Secretariat,
Victor Tvirku, Deputy president of Argentina Amado Boudou, Lebanon's
State Minister Marwan Kheireddin, a deputy speaker of the Czech
Republic's Senate, Alena Gajduskova, President of the Belarusian
National Assembly's House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko,
President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania Valeriu È`tefan Zgonea
and many others.
Resident and non-resident ambassadors from different countries
(including Russia and European states and international delegations)
are also expected to attend the event.
Despite such a geo-political representation, the domestic guests' list
is a little bit different.
Of the eight political forces represented at the National Sssembly,
only two ` the Rule of Law and Prosperous Armenia (partially) ` will
be present at the Sports and Concert Complex today. The other
parliamentary factions (the opposition Armenian National Congress,
Heritage and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun) will
not attend the event.
With the exception 1991, the outcomes of all other presidential
elections in Armenia have been widely disputed, with public uprisings
always preceding, following or coinciding with the inaugural events.
Armenian News - Tert.am