VETERAN GOVERNORS SACKED
By Ruben Meloyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep
Dec 7 2006
The longtime government-appointed governors of two Armenian regions
were dismissed and expected to be replaced by other loyalists of
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s Republican Party (HHK) on Thursday.
Albert Heroyan of the southern Armavir province and Henrik Kochinian of
Lori, northern Armenia were relieved of their duties during a weekly
cabinet session chaired by Markarian. A government statement on the
meeting gave no clear reasons for the move.
Heroyan and Kochinian have been known as staunch supporters of
President Robert Kocharian. Kochinian, who had served as transport
minister in the early 1990s, accompanied the Armenian leader during
his April 2001 peace talks with Azerbaijan’s then President Heydar
Aliev on the Florida island of Key West.
The two gubernatorial posts are controlled by the HHK in accordance
with a power-sharing agreement signed by Kocharian and his leading
political allies in June 2003. It is not clear if the HHK leaders and
Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian in particular were unhappy with the
work of Heroyan and Kochinian. Senior Republican lawmakers claimed
to have not been informed of their dismissal beforehand.
Contacted by RFE/RL, Heroyan claimed that he himself tendered his
resignation after deciding to retire. "There are no political reasons
behind this decision," he said. "I am not a member of any party,
and have not engaged and will not engage in politics."
Kochinian, for his part, declined comment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
