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REPUBLICANS OBJECT TO DASHNAK CONTROL OF DEFENSE MINISTRY
By Ruzanna Khachatrian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 18 2007
A leader of the governing Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) indicated
on Friday that it is against giving the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) the post of defense minister in a new
government to be formed by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
Dashnaktsutyun, which controls four other, less significant ministerial
portfolios in the outgoing Armenian cabinet, implied during campaigning
for the May 12 parliamentary elections that that is a necessary
condition for its continued presence in government.
Its leaders sounded more ambiguous on that score after the
Sarkisian-led HHK swept to a landslide victory in the polls. Still,
media reports have said they still hope to get hold of the
crucial post, even though the Republicans will no longer depend
on Dashnaktsutyun in pushing government bills through the National
Assembly.
Clearly referring to the Armenian ministries of defense and foreign
affairs, Tigran Torosian, the outgoing parliament speaker and the
HHK deputy chairman, said: "There are two ministries whose heads are
effectively chosen by the president of the republic. So why would
the president of the republic gives those posts to any party?"
One of the Dashnaktsutyun leaders, Armen Rustamian, said on May 9
that the Defense Ministry must no longer be run by "those who do not
represent a political force or a party." "We must put an end to this,"
he told a campaign rally in Yerevan.
Torosian insisted, however, that President Robert Kocharian must
continue to directly control the Defense Ministry. "I don't think he
has to offer any party to nominate people here and there," he said.
Like other top Republicans, Torosian made it clear that the HHK
does not want to form a classical coalition government as a result
of elections but is ready to give high-level government posts to
other parties loyal to Kocharian. "The most important thing is to have
full-fledged cooperation," he told a news conference. "The more parties
are involved in that cooperation, the more pluralism there will be."
Although the HHK will have an absolute majority in the newly elected
parliament, observers believe that Sarkisian is willing to share
power with those pro-Kocharian forces which could endorse him for
the Armenian presidency. Dashnaktsutyun leaders have said until now
that they will have their own candidate in next year's presidential
election.
By Ruzanna Khachatrian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 18 2007
A leader of the governing Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) indicated
on Friday that it is against giving the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) the post of defense minister in a new
government to be formed by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
Dashnaktsutyun, which controls four other, less significant ministerial
portfolios in the outgoing Armenian cabinet, implied during campaigning
for the May 12 parliamentary elections that that is a necessary
condition for its continued presence in government.
Its leaders sounded more ambiguous on that score after the
Sarkisian-led HHK swept to a landslide victory in the polls. Still,
media reports have said they still hope to get hold of the
crucial post, even though the Republicans will no longer depend
on Dashnaktsutyun in pushing government bills through the National
Assembly.
Clearly referring to the Armenian ministries of defense and foreign
affairs, Tigran Torosian, the outgoing parliament speaker and the
HHK deputy chairman, said: "There are two ministries whose heads are
effectively chosen by the president of the republic. So why would
the president of the republic gives those posts to any party?"
One of the Dashnaktsutyun leaders, Armen Rustamian, said on May 9
that the Defense Ministry must no longer be run by "those who do not
represent a political force or a party." "We must put an end to this,"
he told a campaign rally in Yerevan.
Torosian insisted, however, that President Robert Kocharian must
continue to directly control the Defense Ministry. "I don't think he
has to offer any party to nominate people here and there," he said.
Like other top Republicans, Torosian made it clear that the HHK
does not want to form a classical coalition government as a result
of elections but is ready to give high-level government posts to
other parties loyal to Kocharian. "The most important thing is to have
full-fledged cooperation," he told a news conference. "The more parties
are involved in that cooperation, the more pluralism there will be."
Although the HHK will have an absolute majority in the newly elected
parliament, observers believe that Sarkisian is willing to share
power with those pro-Kocharian forces which could endorse him for
the Armenian presidency. Dashnaktsutyun leaders have said until now
that they will have their own candidate in next year's presidential
election.