Prime minister introduces new Transport and Communications Minister

YEREVAN, June 18. /ARKA/. Armenian prime minister Tigran Sargsyan introduced today the new transport and communications minister Gagik Beglarian to the ministry staff. Beglarian replaced ex minister Manuk Vardanian.

"In recent years the ministry has been involved in very important processes, the successful accomplishment of which is going to have a significant effect on our economy," the prime minister said.

Tigran Sargsyan singled out, particularly, the construction of North-South transport corridor, the restoration of community and interstate roads and shifting also to digital TV broadcasting.

Sargsyan congratulated the newly appointed minister, expressing confidence that Beglarian will do everything necessary to continue the programs of the ministry.

The prime minister also thanked former minister of Manuka Vardanian for his work.

"I want to apologize to my colleagues for being strict and demanding. Each of you, if necessary, can always get in touch with me," Manuk Vardanian said. The newly appointed minister thanked the Republican Party and president Serzh Sargsyan for their trust.

Gagik Beglarian, who became Yerevan's first elected mayor in more than a decade after leading the Republican Party to a landslide victory in municipal elections held in May 2009, resigned in 2010 following allegations that he beat up a member of president Serzh Sargsyan's staff. According to media reports, he was involvement in the assault on Aram Kandayan, an official at the presidential administration's protocol unit.  Kandayan allegedly angered Beglarian after asking the latter's wife not to sit next to president Sargsyan during a concert in Yerevan by opera singer Placido Domingo. Such seats are traditionally reserved for Armenia's prime minister, parliament speaker, and the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Beglarian, who did not attend the concert, allegedly drove Kandayan to one of his properties in Yerevan and beat up the young official there the next day

Under the power-sharing agreement signed with Orinats Yerkir the latter received three portfolios of minister of agriculture – Sergo Karapetyan was reappointed to his post, Samvel Tadevosyan was appointed urban planning minister and Armen Yeritsian was reappointed as emergencies minister.

The remaining portfolios are held by members of the Republican Party. Earlier on June 4 the president reappointed defense minister Seyran Ohanian and foreign minister Edward Nalbandian.

The Republican Party won a landslide victory in the May 6 election with 44.02% of the vote. In the new parliament it controls 69 seats out of 131. The Prosperous Armenia of businessman Gagik Tsarukian won 30.12% and controls 37 seats, the opposition Armenian National Congress won 7.08% and has 7 seats. Zharangutyun (Heritage), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) won over 5% just enough to overcome the threshold. They control from 5 to 6 seats each. -0-