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SARKISIAN NAMED ARMENIAN PM
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
April 4 2007
President Robert Kocharian announced late Wednesday the widely
anticipated appointment of Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian as
Armenia's new prime minister.
In a separate presidential decree signed the same day, Sarkisian was
relieved of defense minister's duties which he has performed for
nearly seven years. It was not immediately clear who will run the
Defense Ministry until the formation of a new government required by
Armenian constitution.
The constitution gives Sarkisian 20 days to form his cabinet and have
its composition endorsed by the president of the republic. He will
then have another 20 days to submit the cabinet's plan of actions to
parliament for approval, meaning that the outgoing National Assembly
will almost certainly be unable to vote on it because of parliamentary
elections scheduled for May 12.
In any case, Sarkisian, who has long had the reputation of Armenia's
second most powerful man, will have to step down immediately after
the elections in line with another constitutional requirement. He
will likely be re-appointed prime minister if his Republican Party
(HHK) win the vote.
Sarkisian's appointment was essentially decided by Kocharian and
leaders of the HHK and two other government parties the day after
the sudden death on March 25 of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian,
also a Republican. They agreed that the HHK should continue to control
the post by virtue of having the largest parliament faction.
Even before Markarian's death, Sarkisian, 52, was believed to be
planning to become prime minister as part of his apparent strategy
of succeeding Kocharian as Armenia's president early next year.
A native of Nagorno-Karabakh and philologist by education, Sarkisian
rose to prominence during the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan. He
commanded Karabakh Armenian forces before being named Armenia's
defense minister in 1993. He later served as minister of interior
and national security and briefly headed Kocharian's staff until the
start of his second stint as a defense minister in May 2000.
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
April 4 2007
President Robert Kocharian announced late Wednesday the widely
anticipated appointment of Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian as
Armenia's new prime minister.
In a separate presidential decree signed the same day, Sarkisian was
relieved of defense minister's duties which he has performed for
nearly seven years. It was not immediately clear who will run the
Defense Ministry until the formation of a new government required by
Armenian constitution.
The constitution gives Sarkisian 20 days to form his cabinet and have
its composition endorsed by the president of the republic. He will
then have another 20 days to submit the cabinet's plan of actions to
parliament for approval, meaning that the outgoing National Assembly
will almost certainly be unable to vote on it because of parliamentary
elections scheduled for May 12.
In any case, Sarkisian, who has long had the reputation of Armenia's
second most powerful man, will have to step down immediately after
the elections in line with another constitutional requirement. He
will likely be re-appointed prime minister if his Republican Party
(HHK) win the vote.
Sarkisian's appointment was essentially decided by Kocharian and
leaders of the HHK and two other government parties the day after
the sudden death on March 25 of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian,
also a Republican. They agreed that the HHK should continue to control
the post by virtue of having the largest parliament faction.
Even before Markarian's death, Sarkisian, 52, was believed to be
planning to become prime minister as part of his apparent strategy
of succeeding Kocharian as Armenia's president early next year.
A native of Nagorno-Karabakh and philologist by education, Sarkisian
rose to prominence during the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan. He
commanded Karabakh Armenian forces before being named Armenia's
defense minister in 1993. He later served as minister of interior
and national security and briefly headed Kocharian's staff until the
start of his second stint as a defense minister in May 2000.