RA MINISTER OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, AS WELL AS MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION CHANGED

Noyan Tapan
March 15, 2010

YEREVAN. The Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party proceeding from
its strategy and tactics has made changes and henceforth party
Vice-Chairman Mher Shahgeldian taking the post of the RA Minister of
Emergency Situations will attend to intra-party work, in particular, to
party’s political line, and RA Minister of Transport and Communication
Gurgen Sargsian to economic issues envisaged by party’s election
programs. OYP Vice-Chairwoman, NA Orinats Yerkir faction head Heghine
Bisharian told journalists on March 15 speaking about the decrees on
relieving Gurgen Sargsian of the post of RA Minister of Transport
and Communication and Mher Shahgeldian of the post of Minister of
Emergency Situations.

H. Bisharian also stressed that the party is content with the work
of those Ministers, "and the Prime Minister will express his opinion."

The party will nominate to the above mentioned posts the candidatures
of RA Deputy Head of Police Armen Yeritsian as Minister of Emergency
Situations and RA President’s Adviser Manuk Vardanian, who has
been head of the RA State Cadastre, as RA Minister of Transport and
Communication.

In response to journalists’ question of whether it was not expedient
to replace Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdian nominated by the
party, who has lately received a reprimand by the Prime Minister, H.

Bisharian said: "Any reprimand should not be a basis for changing a
minister, especially as that reprimand was ungrounded, about which
explanations were also given in press."