Quest Economics Database
CIRCA (Cambridge International Reference on Current Affairs) People
In Power
September 15, 2006 Friday
ARMENIA
Full name: The Republic of Armenia : Capital: Yerevan
Current constitution: July 1995, with amendments in 2005.
Head of state: The head of state is a president, directly elected by
universal adult suffrage. Robert Kocharian, hitherto prime minister,
became acting president on the resignation on 3 February 1998, of the
president since independence, Levon Ter-Petrossian. Kocharian went on
to win elections held in March and was sworn into office on 9 April
1998. The president’s term of office is five years, renewable once
only.
Legislature: The legislature is unicameral. The sole chamber, the
National Assembly (Azgayin Joghov), has 131 members, directly elected
for a four-year term.
Executive: The president appoints the prime minister, and the other
members of the cabinet as proposed by the prime minister. The prime
minister is head of government, and directs and co-ordinates its
work.
Most recent elections:
– Presidential: 19 February and 5 March 2003.
– Legislative: 25 May 2003.
Political makeup of government: The president is not a member of any
party, although when first elected in 1998 he was backed by the
Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM), and defeated former communist
leader Karen Demirchian of the People’s Party of Armenia (PPA). After
the 2003 legislative elections pro-presidential parties dominated the
National Assembly, and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), which
had led the previous administration, became the largest party with 35
members, although there were an equal number of independents.
Andranik Markarian of the RPA, prime minister since May 2000, formed
a new RPA-led government on 11 June 2003 in which the majority of the
members of the previous government retained their posts. One of the
RPA’s two junior coalition paartners, the Law-Based State (Orinats
Yerkir) party (LBS) withdrew from the government in May 2006. Its two
remaining ministers resigned from the party, but one of them, the
minister of education and science, was replaced on 17 May by a member
of the other coalition party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). The minister of culture was replaced on 22
May.
Head of State
Robert Kocharian : President
Cabinet
Andranik Markarian (RPA): Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamian (RPA): Minister for Co-ordinating Territorial
Administration and Production Infrastructures
Vardan Oskanian (ind): Foreign Affairs
David Lokian (ARF-D): Agriculture
Aghvan Vardanian (ARF-D): Labour and Social Security
Karen Chshmaritian (RPA): Trade and Economic Development
David Harutunian (RPA): Justice
Levon Mkrtchian (ARF-D): Education and Science
Serge Sarkissian : Defence
Vardan Ayvazian (RPA): Ecology
Norair Davidian (ARF-D): Health
Asmik Pogosian : Culture and Youth Affairs
Andranik Manukian (RPA): Transport and Communications
Vartan Khachatrian (RPA): Finance and Economy
Aram Harutunian : Urban Development
Armen Movsisian (RPA): Energy
Manuk Topuzian : Head of the Government Executive
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress