Head of the Cadastre Committee Resigns and Issues Statement

The head of the Cadastre Committee, Sarhat Petrosyan, has submitted a request to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to be relieved of his position. The reasons for his resignation were outlined in a post on his Facebook page.

“Dear friends, acquaintances, and strangers. I want to inform you that I have requested Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to relieve me of my duties as the head of the Cadastre Committee. I cited as a reason my disagreement with our government’s policies and current approaches in the field of urban development, which for me also includes the cadastre sector. I hope that after this public announcement, my request will be granted in the next government meeting,” he wrote.

Petrosyan believes it is essential for officials in post-revolutionary Armenia to present the reasons for their resignations to the public, provided those reasons are suitable for disclosure. He is convinced that there should be a coherent vision at certain levels of governance regarding the development of specific sectors and related fields, which, in this case, apparently does not exist, and thus he finds his tenure inappropriate.

“Regrettably, over the past one and a half years, I could not present the full seriousness of the deep issues existing in our sector to the Prime Minister and the government, along with my vision for resolving these issues and their competitive long-term economic outcomes. Despite the unprecedented activity we recorded in the real estate market, we have regressed in the field of urban development due to the political inertia resembling imitations from the current and former heads of the Urban Development Committee (by the way, the latter is currently an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan),” he noted.

He elaborated on his views regarding urban development, asking readers to understand the term in its broadest sense, from spatial planning to the cadastre and building permit systems, land policies, to large interventions in historical environments, and tourism infrastructure.

Petrosyan stressed that both before his appointment and as a public official, he advocated for addressing the existing problems in the sector with the same principledness, but now he can say that these efforts have only had episodic effects. As the head of a government-subordinate body and a professional architect-urban planner, he can no longer tolerate the dilettantism and the clan-like corruption he has been fighting against since his student years, and later in the public sphere, and as an expert.

“I believe that in the future, there will be an occasion to address all of this individually while complying with legislative requirements to keep service and confidential information undisclosed, as well as ethical norms,” he stated.

“Nevertheless, the more than a year I spent as the head of the Cadastre Committee was an honorable, educational, interesting, and responsible period for me. Therefore, I want to thank Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for his trust and reaffirm my support for the changes he has brought, despite having internal disagreements at various moments. The incredible changes he has brought to our reality have transformed our entire way of thinking and demonstrated that the previously universally invested civic efforts have not been in vain,” he added.

Petrosyan expressed hope that he has met the Prime Minister’s expectations and that there have not been significant complaints about his work. He thanked all his colleagues in the government and the Prime Minister's office with whom he had effective cooperation and warm relations.

He also recognized the honest, devoted, and professional colleagues who joined him in the reforms of #NewCadastre, saying they gave him the strength and hope not to submit this application sooner. They proved through their own experience that they contribute to favorable changes in the country under new realities at the expense of their personal welfare and time spent with their families.

“Thanks to them, it was possible to achieve the results in this short period that I can be proud of,” he stated.

Petrosyan acknowledged all the employees of the Cadastre Committee who supported his initiatives with their experience and dedication, helped refine his ambitious reforms, and ensured the continuity of these efforts by preventing the return of the previous corrupt and indifferent system. He expressed gratitude to all those who helped them work, corrected mistakes, and influenced their daily work by offering advice, encouragement, and sometimes criticism made discreetly.

He expressed hope that after resting with his family, he could contribute to solving the sector's existing issues with his professional experience and possibly from public expert positions, trying to avoid new mistakes and rectify already made correctable errors. He is convinced that the long-term success of the revolution and the real institutionalization of reforms are as essential as the revolution itself, and everyone should have their share, regardless of their status.

“My resignation announcement reflects the entire situation and is motivated solely by professional reasons due to the ongoing sectoral policy. And let no one attempt to use it for any political considerations or look for reasons related to family affiliations. We have repeatedly proven that unlike many, we are far from pursuing narrow familial clannish relationships for selfish gain, and each of us has freely expressed our personal stance based on our political vision. I continue to consider the changes of 2018 as one of the most significant achievements of the Armenian people in the contemporary period, which must be preserved, developed, and expanded, preventing opportunists from discrediting or exploiting it for personal welfare.”

“Once again, thank you all. With love, Sarhat,”

he concluded.