Former Yerevan mayor appointed as Armenian new prime minister

By bne IntelliNews September 14, 2016

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree to appoint former Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan as the country's new prime minister on September 13. Karapetyan is filling the vacancy left by the resignation of his predecessor Hovik Abrahamyan, who stepped down on September 8.

The government reshuffle is seen as an attempt by Sargsyan to deflect attention from his office to other state institutions amidst growing discontent with his administration. A hostage crisis and protests in July revealed the extent of the government's unpopularity, when people sided with a violent fringe group to decry the country's poor handling of a confrontation with Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as corruption and unemployment.

A former Gazprom executive and deputy energy minister, 53-year-old Karapetyan is largely well seen in Armenia despite his absence from the country in the last six years, which he spent in Russia. He inherits a volatile political situation and is looking at a short term of just seven months before the country holds parliamentary elections next April.

His tenure will be decisive for the ruling Republican Party's ambitions to win the elections in what will be a historical ballot for Armenia, one that will see the country switch from a semi-presidential governance system to a parliamentary one.

Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Articles

The acquisition of Armenia's Ameriabank by BOGG PLC complete

BOGG PLC, an international financial group based in the UK, has finalized a deal acquiring a 90% stake in Ameriabank, a leading financial institution in Armenia. This acquisition, valued at $303.6mn, ... more

Armenia gives preliminary consent to purchase of Ameriabank by Bank of Georgia

The Central Bank of Armenia's Board has preliminarily approved the acquisition of a significant stake in Ameriabank CJSC by Bank of Georgia Group PLC (BOGG) and Bank of Georgia JSC, according ... more

Ameriabank clinches fourth consecutive title as Armenia's best bank in sustainable financing

Ameriabank has maintained its position as Armenia's leading financial institution for sustainable financing, winning the  title for the fourth year in a row. The recognition is due to the ... more

Follow Us On

Most Read

  1. Ukraine's birth rate plummets to 300-year low as country’s population collapses
    8 days ago
  2. EU finally boosts defence investment into arms production as Ukraine runs out of ammo
    1 month ago
  3. Fresh evidence suggests that the April 2022 Istanbul peace deal to end the war in Ukraine was stillborn
    8 days ago
  4. Don't mention the "D" word - Ukraine
    5 days ago
  5. Europe unlikely to tackle Russian LNG imports anytime soon
    2 days ago
  1. Russia could pay off its entire external debt tomorrow, in cash
    26 days ago
  2. Speculation swirls of “Men in Blue” in Crocus City Hall terrorist attack linked to FSB
    30 days ago
  3. Albanians campaign on social media to keep bus bridge created in freak accident
    1 year ago
  4. BRICS announce a blockchain-based payment system to create a common currency
    28 days ago
  5. Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for Neom city
    15 days ago

Reports

Dismiss