Yesterday, President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree to relieve the Head of the Presidential Staff Karen Karapetyan of his duties at his own request. At the meeting held with the Presidential Staff, President Sargsyan thanked Karen Karapetyan for cooperation and wished him success in his future activities. In his turn, Karen Karapetyan thanked President Serzh Sargsyan for the confidence given to him by the President for the last three years. No further details were reported. Sargsyan’s office said later in the day, that a senior presidential aide, Vigen Sargsyan, will serve as acting chief of staff. Karapetyan, whose brother Samvel is one of Russia’s wealthiest Armenians, was the parliamentary leader of Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) before being appointed as chief of the staff in September 2008. Karen Karapetyan has not commented on an unexpected resignation which provoked rumors and speculations both in media and political circles. Rumor has it he would be appointed to the post of prime minister. Media reports last December claimed that Karapetyan is facing growing pressure from his subordinates to resign because of allegedly facilitating the scandalous beating by then Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan of an official from the presidential protocol department. They said he even offered to quit after being shunned by presidential staffers. Karapetyan dismissed those claims as “disinformation” at the time. He insisted that his rapport with with Sargsyan remains “normal and businesslike.” Karapetyan also came under media fire in November 2010 after insulting one of the employees of a chemical plant who demonstrated outside the presidential palace in Yerevan to demand payment of their back wages. He never apologized for that. Different newspapers have differently commented on Karapetyan’s resignation. Some papers claim that Karen Karapetyan will replace Armen Gevorgyan as Deputy Prime Minister. However, the paper, citing its own sources, claims that Karen Karapetyan will hardly take up any position in the government, adding that Karapetyan has no political aspirations. However, reliable sources say Karapetyan handed in resignation on his initiative and has no intention to assume either post of premier or any other position. According to information at newspaper’s disposal, he was offered several posts but rejected the offer,” an online source writes. Karapetyan’s resignation will affect domestic political developments, in particular rearrangement of forces within ruling regime. In particular, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan complained about Karapetyan, considering him one of his opponents. Besides being the head of staff, Karapetyan is a member of ruling Republican Party’s (RPA) board, head of RPA economic committee and is coordinating work of RPA regional offices.
