The Situation Has Changed: The Government Will Not Be Fully Formed

The newspaper "Hayots Ashkharh" reports: "The government of the Republic of Armenia will not be fully formed within the legally established timeframe. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated yesterday that only 2/3 of the government members will be appointed in the near future. Since the law on 'The Structure and Activities of the Government' stipulates that the government is considered formed when at least 2/3 of its members are appointed, the issue will be legally resolved.

If we consider the fact that government members include not only ministers but also the prime minister and three deputy prime ministers—a total of 21 individuals—this means that at least 14 must be appointed. It is assumed that the first deputy prime minister (this position is planned to be eliminated) and 6 ministers will not be appointed.

The situation has arisen due to the proposed changes in the structure of the government. Although Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the idea of reducing the number of ministries back on August 17 during his speech marking 100 days in office, the legislative draft is still not ready. Judging by the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that this draft will be prepared soon. In the end, these optimizations will significantly impact a segment of society, forcing many to join the ranks of the unemployed.

Additionally, according to the newspapers, there have been misinterpretations and disagreements regarding the unification of several ministries, even within the ruling party itself. Particularly, experts in the field deem the merger of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments with the Ministry of Agriculture impractical. The status of the Minister of Diaspora is also not finalized. Overall, this dissolution has caused discontent, and it is possible that this decision might be postponed.

For more details, refer to today’s edition of the newspaper.