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SARKISYAN UNLIKELY TO BE REPLACED - 2
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 25 2013
25 September 2013 - 10:59am
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
See Part 1 http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/45461.html
Despite rumours about the appointment of Karen Karapetyan
to the position of prime minister, many experts in Armenia
doubt the possibility. However, there is a moment which makes
the invulnerable Tigran Sarkisyan worry. In late August and early
September representatives of the ruling RPA party began to discuss
possible changes to the constitution. A commission has been formed,
which in 10 months should present proposals on amendments to the
constitution to the President. The speaker of the parliament, Ovik
Abramyan, and other officials were talking about the possibility of
launching a position of vice-premier.
Serge Sargsyan's electoral program of 2008 and 2013 didn't speak
about amendments to the constitution. During the year only once did
the question of the need to change the constitution was raised by a
member of the Constitutional Court, Felix Tokhyan, who is thought
to be a top-level professional in the sphere of constitutional
law. Tokhyan pointed to the need for serious changes in the court
system and the system of self-administration. However, Tokhyan wasn't
included on the commission on constitutional amendments. So further
changes will unlikely touch on the court system or the system of
self-administration. Perhaps it will concern a new distribution
of power.
According to the chairman of the permanent parliamentary commission on
state and legal affairs, the head of the executive body of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, David Arutyunyan, the RPA is discussing
that not all the decisions made in the constitution adopted in 2005
are thought to be satisfactory, and it is time to launch new changes
to the constitution. Arutyunyan thinks that the discussion will last
several months. At the same time, he doesn't exclude the ruling party
considering shifting from a presidential to a parliamentary system
of governance.
Arutyunyan also assumes that in case of a shift to a parliamentary
republic, the current president of Armenia Serge Sargsyan will head
the proportional list of the RPA, and if the RPA wins, Sargsyan will
be elected Premier and will head Armenia in this status.
Why should this concern Tigran Sarkisyan? Formally, the position
of vice-premier exists even today. It is taken by Armen Gevorkyan,
who is involved in territorial management. But the point is not in
the position, but who can take it. Today it is difficult to predict
possible candidates, but there is a moment which should be analyzed. I
mean the trial over the former prime minster Grant Bagratyan. A
certain Mane Akopyan, who took part in development of the economic
program "100 Steps" by the opposition coalition the Armenian National
Congress 4 years ago (the whole development was conducted under active
participation and management of Bagratyan), accuses the former premier
of intellectual property rights violation. Akopyan demands Bagratyan
pay more than a million drams for publishing a small article from
the program on his page in Facebook.
Bagratyan called the suit absurd and accused Akopyan of being engaged
to spy on the opposition, initiated by Tigran Sarkisyan. According to
the former premier, there is a clear political order in the lawsuit,
and the authors of it are Sarkisyan and his team.
The government hasn't disapproved the statement by Bagratyan yet. It
is difficult to understand all the details of the case, but it
shouldn't be excluded that Tigran Sarkisyan wanted to eliminate his
possible rival, as there is a small possibility that Bagratyan could
be appointed vice-premier or even prime minister. At the same time,
in general Tigran Sarkisyan is unlikely to be replaced in the position
of prime minister.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/45512.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 25 2013
25 September 2013 - 10:59am
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
See Part 1 http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/45461.html
Despite rumours about the appointment of Karen Karapetyan
to the position of prime minister, many experts in Armenia
doubt the possibility. However, there is a moment which makes
the invulnerable Tigran Sarkisyan worry. In late August and early
September representatives of the ruling RPA party began to discuss
possible changes to the constitution. A commission has been formed,
which in 10 months should present proposals on amendments to the
constitution to the President. The speaker of the parliament, Ovik
Abramyan, and other officials were talking about the possibility of
launching a position of vice-premier.
Serge Sargsyan's electoral program of 2008 and 2013 didn't speak
about amendments to the constitution. During the year only once did
the question of the need to change the constitution was raised by a
member of the Constitutional Court, Felix Tokhyan, who is thought
to be a top-level professional in the sphere of constitutional
law. Tokhyan pointed to the need for serious changes in the court
system and the system of self-administration. However, Tokhyan wasn't
included on the commission on constitutional amendments. So further
changes will unlikely touch on the court system or the system of
self-administration. Perhaps it will concern a new distribution
of power.
According to the chairman of the permanent parliamentary commission on
state and legal affairs, the head of the executive body of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, David Arutyunyan, the RPA is discussing
that not all the decisions made in the constitution adopted in 2005
are thought to be satisfactory, and it is time to launch new changes
to the constitution. Arutyunyan thinks that the discussion will last
several months. At the same time, he doesn't exclude the ruling party
considering shifting from a presidential to a parliamentary system
of governance.
Arutyunyan also assumes that in case of a shift to a parliamentary
republic, the current president of Armenia Serge Sargsyan will head
the proportional list of the RPA, and if the RPA wins, Sargsyan will
be elected Premier and will head Armenia in this status.
Why should this concern Tigran Sarkisyan? Formally, the position
of vice-premier exists even today. It is taken by Armen Gevorkyan,
who is involved in territorial management. But the point is not in
the position, but who can take it. Today it is difficult to predict
possible candidates, but there is a moment which should be analyzed. I
mean the trial over the former prime minster Grant Bagratyan. A
certain Mane Akopyan, who took part in development of the economic
program "100 Steps" by the opposition coalition the Armenian National
Congress 4 years ago (the whole development was conducted under active
participation and management of Bagratyan), accuses the former premier
of intellectual property rights violation. Akopyan demands Bagratyan
pay more than a million drams for publishing a small article from
the program on his page in Facebook.
Bagratyan called the suit absurd and accused Akopyan of being engaged
to spy on the opposition, initiated by Tigran Sarkisyan. According to
the former premier, there is a clear political order in the lawsuit,
and the authors of it are Sarkisyan and his team.
The government hasn't disapproved the statement by Bagratyan yet. It
is difficult to understand all the details of the case, but it
shouldn't be excluded that Tigran Sarkisyan wanted to eliminate his
possible rival, as there is a small possibility that Bagratyan could
be appointed vice-premier or even prime minister. At the same time,
in general Tigran Sarkisyan is unlikely to be replaced in the position
of prime minister.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/45512.html