Who and Why Whispered in Serzh's Ear About Appointing Karen Karapetyan as Prime Minister

The President of the Justice Armenia party, Norair Norikyan, wrote on his Facebook page: “Who and why whispered in Serzh's ear about appointing Karen Karapetyan as Prime Minister? On September 8, 2016, just a month and a half after the armed takeover of the police station by the clearly anti-Russian ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group, the Prime Minister and key figure of the Republican Party, ‘Black Cardinal’ Hovik Abrahamyan, resigned.

A few days later, on September 13, 2016, Serzh Sargsyan invited and appointed Karen Karapetyan, the first vice president of Gazprombank, who had moved to Russia in 2011 and was evidently under Russian influence. A few months later, on January 26, 2017, at Serzh Sargsyan's request, Karen Karapetyan was elected as the first vice president of the Republican Party and continued to serve as Prime Minister after the parliamentary elections once again at Sargsyan's insistence.

On April 18, 2018, again at Serzh Sargsyan's request and with his consent, he was appointed the first deputy prime minister. A few days later, Karen Karapetyan personally went to the isolation cell and brought Nikol Pashinyan out, after which Serzh Sargsyan announced his resignation. After Nikol Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister, Karen Karapetyan resigned from his position as first deputy prime minister.

Some time later, he ceased to be a member of the Republican Party and returned to the Russian Federation. Later, Serzh Sargsyan made a remarkable statement, emphasizing that he handed over power not to Nikol Pashinyan but to Karen Karapetyan. It seems that there was nothing more that Serzh could have done for Karen Karapetyan that he hadn’t already done, but…

On June 14, 2021, Karen Karapetyan announced his support for Robert Kocharian and urged voters to choose the ‘Armenia’ alliance he leads. In turn, Robert Kocharian stated that if he won, he would offer Karen Karapetyan a position upon his return to Armenia. As for why the relations between Serzh Sargsyan, Robert Kocharian, and their political teams have gradually deteriorated, we will address it on another occasion; but in this context, Serzh Sargsyan must inform the public about: 1. What were the relations with Russia during the period following the April 2016 war up until the takeover by the ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group, especially regarding the resolution of the Artsakh conflict? 2. Who and why whispered in his ear, particularly to appoint Karen Karapetyan as Prime Minister? Was it perhaps Vladimir Putin himself who made the request or suggestion? 3. What role did Karen Karapetyan play during the revolutionary period? 4. Under what circumstances did he transfer the power he was entrusted with to Nikol Pashinyan? 5. What should Karen Karapetyan have done regarding Artsakh or relations with Russia that Serzh Sargsyan was unwilling to do?”