Your trusted source

Upon Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s proposal, President Armen Sarkissian has signed decrees to dismiss six ministers representing the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). 

Minister of Emergency Situations Hrachya Rostomyan (PAP), Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies Ashot Hakobyan (PAP), Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Levon Vahradyan (PAP), Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Artur Grigoryan (PAP), Minister of Agriculture Artur Khachatryan (ARF-D) and Minister of Economic Development and Investments Artsvik Minasyan (ARF-D) have been sacked, the presidential office said.

Armenia’s Vice Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan will continue to serve in the office.

PM Pashinyan organized an emergency rally outside the National Assembly on Tuesday night after lawmakers from the mentioned political forces joined the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) in passing a controversial bill that is expected to make it harder to dissolve the parliament.

The draft law adopted with 67 votes in favour at an extraordinary sitting on Tuesday proposes amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Armenian parliament, according to which a parliament session will be considered interrupted rather than failed if a discussion cannot take place for various reasons, and can be resumed later even in six months.

Pashinyan slammed the bill as a “conspiracy against the Armenian people” when he addressed the protesters. He also declared that he dismisses all the ministers and governors from the PAP and ARF-D and signed the decrees publicly at the rally. 

Pashinyan said in his speech that he will step down after President Sarkissian signs decrees on sacking the six ministers.

Under the Armenian Constitution, snap elections can be conducted only if the prime minister resigns and the parliament fails to elect new PM within two weeks.