Armenian president signs decree appointing Ovik Abraamyan PM
YEREVAN. April 14 (Interfax) - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Sunday signed a decree appointing Ovik Abraamyan to the post of prime minister, the presidential press service told Interfax.
Ovik Abraamyan, speaker of the Armenian parliament, was nominated to the post of prime minister by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is chairman of the ruling Republican Party, at a meeting of the party's executive body and council on Sunday.
"The candidacy of Ovik Abraamyan for the post of prime minister has been approved by the executive body and the council of the Republican Party," Eduard Sharmazanov, deputy speaker of the parliament and press officer of the Republican Party, told reporters.
Ovik Abraamyan, 56, is deputy chairman of the Republican Party. In September 2008, he was elected chairman of the Armenian National Assembly (parliament). In November 2011, he resigned from the post of parliament speaker after being appointed head of the election headquarters of the Republican Party in the 2012 parliamentary elections. He was elected to the parliament on May 6, 2012 and he became chairman of the parliament on May 31, 2012.
The Republican Party holds the majority of seats in the Armenian parliament.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan filed his resignation on April 3.
In accordance with the Armenian Constitution, the president appoints the prime minister within ten days following the acceptance of the government's resignation based on the distribution of seats in the parliament. The new government is formed within twenty days from the appointment of the prime minister.
The new prime minister is adopted by the political majority (the Republican Party of Armenia, which is led by the president).
Tigran Sargsyan, 54, has been prime minister of Armenia since April 2008. he is also deputy chairman of the Republican Party.