ARMENIAN PREMIER COMMENTS ON PLANS FOR NEW CABINET

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
4 Jun 07

[Presenter] Negotiations between political parties will be over in a
day or so, the first session of the new parliament will take place
on 7 June, then a new Cabinet will be set up within the period of
time provided by the constitution, the country’s prime minister said
today. [Prime Minister] Serzh Sargsyan also told journalists that
the talks on forming a Cabinet are not over yet with the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD]. He said that parties
not represented in parliament will also get ministerial posts.

Sargsyan described the forthcoming changes as surprises that have
not happened so far in the political life of Armenia. The number of
ministries may also be reduced but the new Cabinet will carry on the
programme adopted by the previous Cabinet and the Armenian president
[Robert Kocharyan], focusing on socioeconomic issues.

[Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, addressing journalists] I think that
the changes will be quite sizable but on the other hand, I am sure
that our success does not depend on changing everything. They [the
incumbent ministers] will stay in the directions we were successful in,
in the directions that we see there is still energy. What I mean is
we should add the experience to the wishes and efforts of the people
that are new [in the Cabinet].

[A reporter] Where will these new people come from?

[Sargsyan] From various places. There will be people who are not
connected with the [governing] Republican Party of Armenia, the ARFD
or the Prosperous Armenia. If you remember, we have been repeating
for over three months that we want to involve many forces, regardless
of whether they are represented in parliament or not, or whether they
are members of a party or not.