Armenia's new president officially takes office (video)
YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA/. Armenia's newly-elected president Vahagn Khachatryan was inaugurated today in a special meeting of the National Assembly in the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife Anna Hakobyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan, Parliament Chairman Alen Simonyan, MPs, government ministers and other high-ranking guests.
The opposition parliamentary factions Hayastan (Armenia) and Pativ Unem (I have Honor) boycotted the ceremony. The newly elected president took the oath, placing his hand on the Constitution of Armenia.
"Assuming the office of the President of the Republic of Armenia, I swear to be faithful to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, to be objective in exercising my powers, to be guided only by the state and national interests, to put all my efforts into strengthening the national unity," he said. Then the national anthem of Armenia was played.
The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II gave his patriarchal blessing to President Khachatryan.
Vahagn Khachatryan was elected President on March 3 by a vote of 71 by the Armenian parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party. The opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances refused to take part in the elections.
Vahagn Khachatryan, 63, who served as High-Tech Industry Minister, was the only candidate. He has replaced Armen Sarkissian, who announced his resignation on January 23 citing lack of tools to influence the country’s foreign and domestic policies.
Under a package of constitutional reforms, endorsed in a national referendum in 2015, Armenia changed the governance system of the country from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic in 2018 April.
The president of Armenia, whose powers are significantly curtailed, is elected for a term of seven years by the parliament. Presidents are limited to one term of office. -0-
