The majority of political and civil offices in the Cabinet are held by the Republican Party. The majority of those officials are included in the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) list for proportional representation and the Electoral Code requires that such candidates resign their offices during the election campaign. During the last meeting of the Cabinet, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan urged those officials either to take a vacation or to withdraw their candidacies.
As a result of our inquiries, it turned out that these officials-candidates had preferred to take a vacation, rather than to give up the chance to become an MP.
E.g., two deputies of the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs have been included in the RPA list for proportional representation and both of them will be on vacation from April 2 till the end of the election. In response to a question of www.aravot.am whether the work deputies of the ministries would not be paralyzed because of two ministers’ absence for a month, the press agency said, “There is nothing extraordinary. Their functions will be performed by respective departments.”
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Deputy minister of finance Vardan Aramyan prefers to go on vacation, rather than to give up his 87th place on the list.
Arman Sahakyan, the head of the state property management department, has gone on a vacation too – he also holds the office of the chairman of the Ajapnyak district office council.
Although deputy minister of economy Karine Minasyan who is in the 56th place on the RPA list is also on vacation, however the ministry assured that since the campaign hadn’t commenced yet, the deputy minister came to the ministry. Ms. Minasyan coordinates and prepares her replacements, in order that she may take on campaign work with clear conscience.
Deputy minister of culture Arev Samuelyan is also an MP candidate on the RPA list for majoritarian representation – she hasn’t violated the law either and has gone on a vacation.
Abram Bakhchagulyan, the head of the food safety state service, Ministry of Agriculture, who is in the 89th place on the RPA list, has followed the law and the Prime Minister’s urge too – he has been on vacation since April 2.
Jemma Baghdasaryan, the deputy minister of labor and social affairs, is on the RPA list too and will be on vacation from April 2 to May 6.
Artem Asatryan, the head of the social security state service of the same ministry, has resisted the temptation to become an MP – he has withdrawn his MP candidacy, in order to continue his work at the service.
Robert Nazaryan, the chairman of the public services coordination commission, is in the 57th place on the RPA list, as the law provides for, he has temporarily resigned the office. In response to our question how the commission would manage without the chairman, they said, “Everyone is professional here. Everyone knows his job quite well. Besides, the chairman also goes on business trips – we work then, don’t we?”
Artak Shaboyan, the head of the economic competition protection state service, will be on vacation from April 1 to May 6. He will also struggle for MP seat in the 79th place on the RPA list.
Yervand Zakharyan, the chairman of the real estate cadastre state committee, is also an MP candidate and is also on vacation.
Nelly BABAYAN
