New government formed in Armenia

By Emil Danielyan

 

 

Armenia?s President Robert Kocharian and his top political allies have cut a new power-sharing deal resulting from their landslide victory in the May 12 parliamentary elections. In a decree made public on June 8, Kocharian formally approved the composition of a coalition government headed by his longtime close associate Serge Sarkisian and dominated by representatives of the latter?s Republican Party (HHK), the main election winner.

 

The development came after almost a month of difficult negotiations between the HHK and two other major pro-Kocharian parties, Prosperous Armenia and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, also known as Dashnaktsutiun. Sarkisian agreed to share power with them, even though his party won an outright majority in parliament and was able to single-handedly form a government. He is clearly trying to mobilize broad-based political support for his intention to succeed Kocharian in a presidential election due in early 2008.

 

Officially, the new ruling coalition is made up of the HHK and Prosperous Armenia, which came in a distant second in the parliamentary elections. Their leaders signed a corresponding memorandum in Kocharian?s office on June 6. They then signed a separate ?cooperation agreement? with Dashnaktsutiun, enabling the center-left nationalist party to distance itself from Sarkisian?s government while retaining three of the four ministerial posts it has held for the past four years. The Armenian ministries of agriculture, education, and social affairs will thus continue to be run by Dashnaktsutiun members. The party, which is particularly influential in the worldwide Armenian Diaspora, also clinched the right to appoint one of the country?s ten provincial governors, a deputy speaker of the National Assembly, and the chairpersons of two parliament committees. One of its top leaders, Vahan Hovannisian, was elected as vice-speaker during the first session of the newly elected legislature on June 7.

 

Meanwhile, Prosperous Armenia, which is led by Kocharian-connected tycoon Gagik Tsarukian, got hold of the less significant ministries of health, urban development, and sport affairs. The HHK will directly or indirectly control seven ministries, including those of finance and justice, as well as the newly created post of deputy prime minister. Kocharian, for his part, filled two other cabinet vacancies, reappointing his longtime Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and Defense Minister Mikael Harutiunian. Neither man is affiliated with any party.

 

Speaking to journalists later on June 6, another party leader, Armen Rustamian, stressed that Dashnaktsutiun will have an ?independent political tactic? and will bear no responsibility for the actions of the prime minister and cabinet members not affiliated with it. More importantly, he also confirmed that the nationalist party has not committed itself to endorsing Sarkisian?s presidential bid.