RIA Novosti, Russia
March 26 2007

Armenian DM appointed acting prime minister – MP
14:39 | 26/ 03/ 2007

YEREVAN, March 26 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s defense minister, Serzh
Sarkisyan, has been appointed acting prime minister, an Armenian
parliamentarian said Monday.

Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan died Sunday of a heart attack at
the age of 55.

The Armenian government and presidential administration have neither
confirmed nor denied the appointment.

On Monday, President Robert Kocharyan accepted the Cabinet’s
resignation due to Markaryan’s death. The Armenian leader charged the
Cabinet with continuing their duties until a new Cabinet could be
formed.

Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for May 12, and
after the first session of a new parliament, the Cabinet will resign
again.

Markaryan was Armenia’s prime minister since May 2000.

In 1997, he was elected chairman of the Republican Party, which came
to head the ruling coalition in Armenia in 2003.