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HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN NAMED ARMENIA'S NEW PM
April 14, 2014 - 09:36 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - President Serzh Sargsyan announced on Sunday,
April 13 his decision to appoint parliament speakerHovik Abrahamyan
as Armenia's new prime minister. He acknowledged that he had serious
misgivings about Abrahamyan's candidacy, RFE/FL Armenian Service
reported.
Sargsyan made the announcement at an extraordinary meeting of the
governing body of his Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), the third
such encounter held since the unexpected resignation on April 3 of
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
Under the Armenian constitution, Abrahamyan has three weeks to form
his cabinet and seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly
controlled by the RPA.
Addressing senior members of the ruling party, Sargsyan spoke of
widespread "skepticisms" about Abrahamyan's candidacy. He said
he has discussed it with the speaker "at length" in the last few
days. Those misgivings, he explained, revolve around "relations with
other political forces" and Abrahamyan's "perceptions by various
social strata."
"We spoke about all issues frankly and openly, and I received clear
assurances from Mr. Abrahamyan," Sargsyan said in televised remarks
publicized by his press office. "Mr. Abrahamyan promised to very
quickly dispel possible concerns within our ranks with his active
steps, clear political messages ... and, most importantly, tangible
results of his work."
"I am confident that everyone will very soon realize that the Republic
of Armenia has a really effective prime minister," he added.
The president appeared to allude to Abrahamyan's reputed ties to
the Prosperous Armenia Party, the second largest parliamentary force
increasingly challenging Sargsyan. The Prosperous Armenia-affiliated
speaker is thought to have a close personal rapport with the party's
millionaire leader Gagik Tsarukyan not least because of the fact that
his son is married to one of the tycoon's daughters. Observers have
suggested that Sargsyan hopes Abrahamyan's appointment will put the
brakes on the Prosperous Armenia's growing cooperation with Armenia's
three main established opposition parties.
Tigran Sargsyan stepped down two days after the Prosperous Armenia and
those parties agreed to stage three-day joint rallies later this month
in support of their joint vote of no confidence in the government,
which was due to be put forward in the parliament.
Abrahamyan's appointment was widely expected to be announced on
Thursday. But it was apparently postponed after Sargsyan's talks held
with Tsarukyan. The latter reportedly refused to bring his party back
to the governing coalition or endorse constitutional reform planned
by Sargsyan.
According to Prosperous Armenia spokesman Tigran Urikhanyan, Tsarukyan
again met the president this weekend and reaffirmed his stance.
"Namely, the Prosperous Armenia is not considering the issue of being
part of a coalition government, that is not our agenda," Zham.am
quoted Urikhanyan as saying shortly after Sargsyan's choice of the
new prime minister was officially confirmed.
Urikhanyan also made clear that Tsarukyan's party remains opposed
to any constitutional changes. "There is no constitutional crisis in
Armenia. There is an economic crisis in Armenia," he said.
RPA spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov indicated that the Armenian president
still hopes to cut a power-sharing deal with the Porsperous Armenia
as well as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnktsutyun. Both
political forces were part of Sarkgsyan's government in the past.
Announcing Abrahamyan's appointment to reporters, Sharmazanov said
that the ruling party's leadership did not discuss the composition
of the new government. Sargsyan likewise did not mention possible
coalition arrangements in his publicized remarks. He said only that
the new Armenian premier will have "a high degree of freedom on
staffing issues."
The head of state further stressed that Abrahamyan's cabinet will
carry on with some of the controversial measures taken by the previous
government and denounced by the Prosperous Armenia and the opposition.
Those include an ongoing reform of the national pension system.
The Prosperous Armenia signaled its intention to continue cooperating
with the opposition forces as it held with them an economic conference
in the central town of Tsaghkadzor on Saturday. Tsarukyan addressed
the forum shunned by the ruling RPA, speaking of a "severe economic
crisis" in the country. He did not comment on the new government or
other political issues in his speech.
From: Baghdasarian
April 14, 2014 - 09:36 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - President Serzh Sargsyan announced on Sunday,
April 13 his decision to appoint parliament speakerHovik Abrahamyan
as Armenia's new prime minister. He acknowledged that he had serious
misgivings about Abrahamyan's candidacy, RFE/FL Armenian Service
reported.
Sargsyan made the announcement at an extraordinary meeting of the
governing body of his Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), the third
such encounter held since the unexpected resignation on April 3 of
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
Under the Armenian constitution, Abrahamyan has three weeks to form
his cabinet and seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly
controlled by the RPA.
Addressing senior members of the ruling party, Sargsyan spoke of
widespread "skepticisms" about Abrahamyan's candidacy. He said
he has discussed it with the speaker "at length" in the last few
days. Those misgivings, he explained, revolve around "relations with
other political forces" and Abrahamyan's "perceptions by various
social strata."
"We spoke about all issues frankly and openly, and I received clear
assurances from Mr. Abrahamyan," Sargsyan said in televised remarks
publicized by his press office. "Mr. Abrahamyan promised to very
quickly dispel possible concerns within our ranks with his active
steps, clear political messages ... and, most importantly, tangible
results of his work."
"I am confident that everyone will very soon realize that the Republic
of Armenia has a really effective prime minister," he added.
The president appeared to allude to Abrahamyan's reputed ties to
the Prosperous Armenia Party, the second largest parliamentary force
increasingly challenging Sargsyan. The Prosperous Armenia-affiliated
speaker is thought to have a close personal rapport with the party's
millionaire leader Gagik Tsarukyan not least because of the fact that
his son is married to one of the tycoon's daughters. Observers have
suggested that Sargsyan hopes Abrahamyan's appointment will put the
brakes on the Prosperous Armenia's growing cooperation with Armenia's
three main established opposition parties.
Tigran Sargsyan stepped down two days after the Prosperous Armenia and
those parties agreed to stage three-day joint rallies later this month
in support of their joint vote of no confidence in the government,
which was due to be put forward in the parliament.
Abrahamyan's appointment was widely expected to be announced on
Thursday. But it was apparently postponed after Sargsyan's talks held
with Tsarukyan. The latter reportedly refused to bring his party back
to the governing coalition or endorse constitutional reform planned
by Sargsyan.
According to Prosperous Armenia spokesman Tigran Urikhanyan, Tsarukyan
again met the president this weekend and reaffirmed his stance.
"Namely, the Prosperous Armenia is not considering the issue of being
part of a coalition government, that is not our agenda," Zham.am
quoted Urikhanyan as saying shortly after Sargsyan's choice of the
new prime minister was officially confirmed.
Urikhanyan also made clear that Tsarukyan's party remains opposed
to any constitutional changes. "There is no constitutional crisis in
Armenia. There is an economic crisis in Armenia," he said.
RPA spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov indicated that the Armenian president
still hopes to cut a power-sharing deal with the Porsperous Armenia
as well as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnktsutyun. Both
political forces were part of Sarkgsyan's government in the past.
Announcing Abrahamyan's appointment to reporters, Sharmazanov said
that the ruling party's leadership did not discuss the composition
of the new government. Sargsyan likewise did not mention possible
coalition arrangements in his publicized remarks. He said only that
the new Armenian premier will have "a high degree of freedom on
staffing issues."
The head of state further stressed that Abrahamyan's cabinet will
carry on with some of the controversial measures taken by the previous
government and denounced by the Prosperous Armenia and the opposition.
Those include an ongoing reform of the national pension system.
The Prosperous Armenia signaled its intention to continue cooperating
with the opposition forces as it held with them an economic conference
in the central town of Tsaghkadzor on Saturday. Tsarukyan addressed
the forum shunned by the ruling RPA, speaking of a "severe economic
crisis" in the country. He did not comment on the new government or
other political issues in his speech.
From: Baghdasarian