Arsen Torosyan to be on leave until September 18
The prime minister says in his decree posted on the government website that Health Minister Arsen Torosyan will take the unused part of his annual minimum leave for the 2018-2019 service year and the unused part of the annual minimum leave for the 2019-2020 working year - from August 31 to September 18, 2020 inclusive.
It is also indicated that while Torosyan is on vacation, he will be replaced by First Deputy Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan.
What's going on with the minister?
The day before, Armenian social networks were excited by the news - not only the official page of Health Minister Arsen Torosyan was closed, but also his personal page on Facebook. When you try to enter the page, it is noted that the content is not available. Perhaps, the owner has deleted the content or restricted access to it.
Some media outlets were quick to draw conclusions – they said that this is the first signal for Torosyan's resignation from the post of minister. Rumors that he will leave his post have been circulating for a long time, both because of the government's anti-coronavirus policy, which, according to some social media users, turned out to be a failure, and in connection with high-profile resignations in the field.
Another possible reason for the resignation is the proceedings initiated against Torosyan in the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption on the fact of an illegal clash of situational interests.
No comments came from the official side. Novosti-Armenia News Agency appealed to Alina Nikoghosyan, the press secretary of the Armenian health ministry, but she refrained from commenting. She did not comment on the closure of the minister's page on the social network, or his possible resignation.
Rumors are also circulating in the media that Pashinyan is extremely dissatisfied with Torosyan's work, in particular, in the context of the fight against COVID-19. 0-