Yesterday finally the session of the executive body of the Republican Party took place, which the political circles have been awaiting after the decline of the PAP from the coalition.
Thus, the RPA has nominated Gagik Beglaryan for the post of Transport and Communication Minister, dean of the state medical university of Yerevan Derenik Dumanyan for the post of Healthcare Minister and the incumbent minister Artem Asatryan for the post of Minister of Social Security and Labor. Also, this appointment was a surprise yesterday because the RPA circles were discussing that this portfolio would be given to the Legal State. The post of the Minister of Sports and Youth Issues, which used to belong to the PAP, remains vacant. But yesterday there were rumors that this post would be given to a loyalist of Gagik Tsarukyan, secretary of the Armenian Olympic Committee Hrach Rostomyan. The latter is also a PAP member and before the appointment he should quit his membership to the PAP. Tsarukyan’s spokeswoman Iveta Tonoyan yesterday said that he would make a statement about quitting the party. And yesterday after the session the deputy-chair of NA and spokesman of the RPA Edward Sharmazanov neither confirmed nor denied these rumors. He also added that the name of the new minister will become known during the first session of the government. And up until yesterday the names of Arsen Karamyan, Khachik Asryan and even former MP Vitor Dallakyan’s names were being circulated. But yesterday H. Rostomyan’s name popped up. And this indirectly means that the PAP has a minister in the government and is an indirect part of the ruling coalition. Of course, there will also be deputy-ministers who won’t resign. Besides that in different ministries and state institutions the PAP has heads of departments and divisions. This means that even though PAP is de jure not a member of the ruling coalition but de facto it makes part of the ruling coalition with the RPA and the Legal State. And this gives grounds to assume that Gagik Tsarukyan and Serzh Sargsyan had cut certain deals during their negotiations that the businesses of the PAP will remain inviolable and that this party will maintain its weight in the government. Instead, Tsarukyan promised to endorse Sargsyan during the upcoming presidential elections. And if H. Rostomyan gets really appointed it would mean that this deal has really worked out with H. Abrahamyan’s guarantees. The RPA has also decided to reappoint all its ministers. As it’s know the Legal State has received the portfolios of the Agriculture, Emergency Situations and Urban Development Ministries. In the first two posts Sergo Karapetyan and Armen Yeritsyan will continue holding their posts. The Legal State has decided that Samvel Tadevosyan would be appointed to the post of the Urban Development Minister. This time the former portfolio of Minister of Transport of the Legal State was allotted to the RPA. This Ministry is considered an important one because it will be coordinating a number of key projects, such as the construction of the North-South Highway. And it includes the expenses of approximately 2 billion USD. Another surprise of yesterday’s session of the RPA was that Samvel Nikoyan wasn’t appointed to a ministerial post and will retain his duties as an NA MP. There is an opinion that Nikoyan remained in the NA as a reserve NA chairman if things turn out unplanned. There is also an opinion that Nikoyan himself didn’t wish to become a minister because as it’s known the new government will function till the presidential elections, that is only 8-9 months. After the presidential elections a new government will be formed, most probably led by a new Prime Minister. And no unexpected development is excluded. And if in 9 months the new minister is not reappointed he will stay jobless. And in this case Nikoyan will continue his post as an MP awaiting further developments. By the way, after the appointment of Gagik Beglaryan to the post of the Minister of Transport, Hovhannes Sahakyan, who is 110 on the RPA list, will become an MP. It is not excluded that he might be appointed faction secretary. At any rate, RPA is the only party that doesn’t have a secretary.