‘Imminent’ resignation of Armenian government anticipated
07.09.2016,
12:30
The ‘imminent’ resignation of the government of Armenian prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan is believed to be as a forgone conclusion and according to media speculation he will be succeeded by a technocrat Karen Karapetyan.
YEREVAN, September 7. /ARKA/. The ‘imminent’ resignation of the government of Armenian prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan is believed to be as a forgone conclusion and according to media speculation he will be succeeded by a technocrat Karen Karapetyan.
Hovik Abrahamyan was appointed prime minister in 2014, replacing Tigran Sargsyan, who serves now as chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Abrahamyan, who has grown over 25 years from the head of small rural business to the head of the Cabinet, took office at a time when the country’s economy began to deteriorate, triggered primarily by the West’s anti-Russian sanctions, leading to a dramatic decline in private money transfers from Russia, which are a main factor of social stability in Armenia .
Economic problems, difficult social situation of a vast part of the population, lack of anticipated radical reforms, and a high degree of monopolization of the market have raised popular discontent to a higher degree. The quintessence of the people’s protesting moods was the seizure of a police station in Yerevan by an armed group in July.
But what was symptomatic was not its bloody end, but the broad public support for the armed group. The protest actions by their supporters should be viewed as a signal that further delaying of reforms would be tantamount to a larger danger.
According to media publications, one of the reasons behind the ‘imminent’ resignation of the working cabinet is the desire to form a kind of a government of national accord.
After the parliamentary elections in 2012 and presidential elections in 2013, which saw Serzh Sargsyan re-elected as head of state, attempts to form a broad coalition were not very much successful.
During this past August 1 meeting with prominent representatives of the media, the clergy, politicians and members of the Public Council, Serzh Sargsyan stated the need for formation of a government of national accord.
Sargsyan stressed that the government of national accord provides for broader distribution and division of political responsibility, adding that the institutional framework for this has been secured. It is noteworthy that Sargsyan promised to form such a government in several months, but most likely it will happen sooner.
Sources in the government argue that a change of government will be followed by radical, systemic reforms, the implementation of which will be entrusted to the 53-year-old Karen Karapetyan, who is known in Armenia as an effective manager and a politician having run the national gas distributing company ArmRosGazprom for ten years.
In 2010-2011 Karapetyan served as mayor of Yerevan, directing his energies to the modernization of municipal services. "I feel the drive when working here,' he said at a press conference. However, after leaving the post of mayor, he moved to Moscow, to be appointed as first vice-president of Gazprombank.
Today, his "drive" will be needed for an economic breakthrough and attracting investment, given his close ties with big Russian big businesses.
It is clear that the new government will be intermediate and the final configuration will emerge only after the parliamentary elections of 2017 and the end of the second term of Serzh Sargsyan in 2018, when the full transition from the semi-presidential form of government to a parliamentary republic will be completed.
If Karapetyan succeeds in forming an effective government that will be able solve problems and restore confidence in the government, he may keep the job after the elections as well. -0-
Hovik Abrahamyan was appointed prime minister in 2014, replacing Tigran Sargsyan, who serves now as chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Abrahamyan, who has grown over 25 years from the head of small rural business to the head of the Cabinet, took office at a time when the country’s economy began to deteriorate, triggered primarily by the West’s anti-Russian sanctions, leading to a dramatic decline in private money transfers from Russia, which are a main factor of social stability in Armenia .
Economic problems, difficult social situation of a vast part of the population, lack of anticipated radical reforms, and a high degree of monopolization of the market have raised popular discontent to a higher degree. The quintessence of the people’s protesting moods was the seizure of a police station in Yerevan by an armed group in July.
But what was symptomatic was not its bloody end, but the broad public support for the armed group. The protest actions by their supporters should be viewed as a signal that further delaying of reforms would be tantamount to a larger danger.
According to media publications, one of the reasons behind the ‘imminent’ resignation of the working cabinet is the desire to form a kind of a government of national accord.
After the parliamentary elections in 2012 and presidential elections in 2013, which saw Serzh Sargsyan re-elected as head of state, attempts to form a broad coalition were not very much successful.
During this past August 1 meeting with prominent representatives of the media, the clergy, politicians and members of the Public Council, Serzh Sargsyan stated the need for formation of a government of national accord.
Sargsyan stressed that the government of national accord provides for broader distribution and division of political responsibility, adding that the institutional framework for this has been secured. It is noteworthy that Sargsyan promised to form such a government in several months, but most likely it will happen sooner.
Sources in the government argue that a change of government will be followed by radical, systemic reforms, the implementation of which will be entrusted to the 53-year-old Karen Karapetyan, who is known in Armenia as an effective manager and a politician having run the national gas distributing company ArmRosGazprom for ten years.
In 2010-2011 Karapetyan served as mayor of Yerevan, directing his energies to the modernization of municipal services. "I feel the drive when working here,' he said at a press conference. However, after leaving the post of mayor, he moved to Moscow, to be appointed as first vice-president of Gazprombank.
Today, his "drive" will be needed for an economic breakthrough and attracting investment, given his close ties with big Russian big businesses.
It is clear that the new government will be intermediate and the final configuration will emerge only after the parliamentary elections of 2017 and the end of the second term of Serzh Sargsyan in 2018, when the full transition from the semi-presidential form of government to a parliamentary republic will be completed.
If Karapetyan succeeds in forming an effective government that will be able solve problems and restore confidence in the government, he may keep the job after the elections as well. -0-
