DASHNAKS OFFERED TO STAY IN GOVERNMENT
By Irina Hovannisian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 23 2007

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said
on Wednesday that it has been offered senior positions in a new
government to be formed by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian and is
currently weighing up its options.

Sarkisian appears willing to share power with Dashnaktsutyun and other
parties loyal to President Robert Kocharian, even though his Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK) won an outright majority in parliament in this
month’s general elections. Observers believe he is thereby trying
to broaden political support for his bid to succeed Kocharian early
next year.

Meeting with Western election observers on Tuesday, Sarkisian said the
HHK is ready to "engage able parliamentary and extra-parliamentary
forces into both the government and the National Assembly" in order
to maximize popular trust in his new cabinet. A government statement
cited him as saying that "negotiations are already being conducted
in that direction."

Armen Rustamian, a top Dashnaktsutyun leader, confirmed that the
nationalist party, which is represented in Sarkisian’s outgoing
cabinet, is involved in those talks but refused to give details. "We
are holding discussions right now and I wouldn’t like to make any
comments now," he told RFE/RL.

"There have been various kinds of offers, but we can not say anything
concrete at the moment," Rustamian said, adding that a decision will
be made "very soon."

Another Dashnaktsutyun leader, Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian,
said he hopes his party will choose to stay in government and allow
him to retain his job. "I have a desire to work because we have
just launched a program [of education reforms] and can see its first
results," he told RFE/RL.

"It all depends on the party’s decision," added Mkrtchian. "That is, if
Dashnaktsutyun decides to be part [of the new government] I will keep
working. If it decides otherwise, I will comply with that decision."

Rustamian has repeatedly stated before that Dashnaktsutyun will not
serve as a "fifth wheel" in a coalition government not dependent on
its parliamentary backing. Nonetheless, the influential party seems
ready, in principle, to remain in government, despite the fact that
the HHK will be able to single-handedly control the parliament.

During the election campaign Dashnaktsutyun leaders implicitly laid
claim to the posts of defense and education ministers. Newspaper
reports have said that they are also demanding the post of parliament
speaker. It is not clear if they are ready to endorse Sarkisian’s
presidential bid in return.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) of businessman Gagik Tsarukian,
which came in a distant second in the elections, is also presumably
involved in the ongoing talks. Despite winning 25 parliament seats,
the pro-Kocharian party is hardly in a position to dictate to the
HHK, though.

Neither Tsarukian, nor other BHK leaders have commented on their
party’s performance in the polls so far. This is construed by
commentators as a sign that the election outcome did not live up to
their expectations.

Under the Armenian constitution, Kocharian has to appoint a prime
minister nominated by the parliament majority within ten days from
the first session of the newly elected National Assembly expected on
June 7. The new premier will have 20 days to form his cabinet.