Several Officials Will Not Retain Their Positions in the Government, Says Nairi Hakhikyan

Media expert Nairi Hakhikyan wrote on his Facebook page: “Following the Constitutional Court's decision and the formation of a new parliament, the government in Armenia will also be established in August. Some high-ranking officials have already faced dismissal in certain departments, initially in the form of their deputies.

I will not be making a revelation if I say that it is clear that Armen Grigoryan will be appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arshak Karapetyan as Minister of Defense, and Alen Simonyan will be the President of the National Assembly.

After successfully utilizing resources during the pre-election period, I believe that several officials will not retain their positions in the government. I have almost no doubt that the Minister of Economy, Vahan Kerobyan, will not hold that chair, considering the ambiguous attitude towards him within the ruling team, especially from the oligarchy. It is also unlikely that the Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan will be present in the future government.

The Minister of Emergency Situations, Andranik Piloyan, has effectively been rewarded with the ministerial post for justifying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s expectations during the war in Artsakh, and it is unlikely he will be dismissed anytime soon.

Several competent civil servants and a few popular regional governors will be brought to Yerevan to take on different positions. This may appear as a promotion; however, in reality, it neutralizes their potential independence.

The purging of the middle class is inevitable. Welcome to the 1990s when the government insisted on being aligned only with the Armenian National Movement (ANM). Later, the Republicans took that over, and now these people will be used more effectively along with their iron toys.

From August, we will witness a great and ruthless struggle in parliament. I am confident that the ‘Armenia’ alliance will launch a large-scale political offensive, and the power will be defeated in parliament, calling on the executive branch for assistance.

However, during this time, the most important thing for us should be not the chairs of the officials, but the front line and the external stability of the state. Right now, we do not need border delimitation and demarcation, but the rearmament of the army is an urgent responsibility.”