Prime Minister of Armenia

Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
Հայաստանի Հանրապետության վարչապետ
Incumbent
Nikol Pashinyan
since 8 May 2018
Government of Armenia
StyleMr. Prime Minister (formal)
His Excellency (diplomatic, abroad)[1]
StatusHead of government
Member ofCabinet of Armenia
Security Council
ResidencePrime Minister's Residence
SeatYerevan
AppointerPresident of Armenia, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the National Assembly
Term lengthNo term limit
Parliamentary elections to the National Assembly are held every five years at most. After election Prime Minister and the Cabinet resigns and the newly elected National Assembly approves the Prime Minister.
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Armenia
Inaugural holderHovhannes Kajaznuni[2]
Formation30 June 1918
DeputyDeputy Prime Minister
SalaryAMD 15,079,920/ US$ 38,825 annually[3]
Websitewww.primeminister.am

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության վարչապետ, romanized: Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan varch’apet) is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Government and coordinate the work of the members of the Government." Also, according to the constitution, the prime minister heads the Security Council, which prescribes the main directions of the country's defense policy; thus, the prime minister is effectively the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Armenia.[4] Nikol Pashinyan is the current prime minister. He took the office on 8 May 2018 following the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan.

History

Original role

The office of prime minister was first established in 1918 with the foundation of the First Republic of Armenia. The prime minister chosen by the National Council of Armenia and was accountable for international, domestic and regional issues. The first Prime Minister became Hovhannes Katchaznouni whose cabinet was made up from five members, all of which were from ARF. In addition, a ministry of interior was created, whose first head was Aram Manukian.[5] It vanished when the First Republic of Armenia was incorporated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and then transferred into a full Soviet republic.

Soviet era

The governmental structure of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was similar to that of the other Soviet republics. The highest executive and administrative organ of state power was the Council of Ministers. The Council consisted of the following positions:

  • Chairman
  • Vice Chairman
  • Chairman of the State Planning Commission
  • Cabinet Ministers
  • Representative of the Committee of Agricultural Stocks
  • Chairman of the Board of Arts
  • Representative of the All-Union People's Commissariat

Restoration

When Armenia regained its independence in 1991, the office of prime minister was reintroduced. Under the new 2015 constitution, the prime minister is the most powerful and influential person in Armenian politics. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Armenia upon the vote of the National Assembly. The prime minister can be removed by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. In the constitutional referendum held in 2015, citizens voted in favor of transferring Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

Selection

Following a general election, after commencement of the term of the newly-elected National Assembly the president appoints the representative of the party a plurality of seats in the assembly (i.e. the largest party). Factions of the National Assembly are entitled to nominate candidates for Prime Minister within a period of seven days.[6]

Deputy

The principal deputy of the prime minister is the deputy prime minister, the possibility of having more than one deputy prime minister, but no more than three.

Current deputies

Title Portfolio/Area of responsibility Name
Deputy Prime Minister
Mher Grigoryan
Deputy Prime Minister
Tigran Khachatryan

Prime Minister's Office

The Prime Minister's Staff has the task of ensuring the enforcement of the powers vested in the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers, as well as making preparations for Cabinet meetings:[7]

Staff Department Principal executive Incumbent
Prime Minister's Staff Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan
Deputy Chiefs of Staff Armenak Khachatryan
Artur Hovsepyan
Sargis Torosyan
Taron Chakhoyan
Zaruhi Matevosyan
Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan
Advisers to Prime Minister Artashes Toumanian
Voluntary Advisor Aleksandr Avetisyan
Suren Maghakyan
Press Secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan
Chief Protocol Officer Suren Varosyan
Assistants to the Prime Minister Arsen Mikhaylov
Artur Grigoryan
David Gevorgyan
Gagik Isakhanyan
Hakob Abrahamyan
Karine Davoyan
Relations with the National Assembly Department Head Anahit Stephanyan
External Relations Karen Gasparyan
Legal Hayk Kesoyan
Programmes Expertise
Personnel and Human Resources Management
State and Legal Affairs
Social Affairs
Territorial Development and Environmental Issues
Information and Public Relations
Financial and Accounting
Financial-Economical
Regulatory Impact Assessment
Applications, monitoring and evaluation of citizen feedback
Administrative Service
Protocol Division
Protocol Department
First Division
Mobilization Preparations and Mobilization Programmes Division
General Division
Division of Pardons, Citizenship, Awards and Titles
Security Council Bureau
Civil Service Bureau
Inspection Bodies’ Coordination Bureau
Public Council Secretariat
Office of the Representative on international legal matters

Bodies subordinate to the Prime Minister

  • National Security Service
  • Foreign Intelligence Service
  • State Protection Service
  • State Supervisory Service

List of officeholders (1991–present)

Since the country's independence, it has had 16 prime ministers, none of whom were women.

  NDU (1)       PANM (1)       RPA (7)       Civil Contract (1)     
No. Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Political party Term of office Election
(Parliament)
Government
No. Composition
1 Vazgen Manukyan
(born 1946)
PANM 13 August 1990 25 September 1991
(Independence)
1990 1st Independents • PANM
NDU 25 September 1991
(Independence)
22 November 1991 Independents • PANM • NDU
2 Gagik Harutyunyan
(born 1948)
Independent 22 November 1991 30 July 1992 2nd Independents • PANM
3 Khosrov Harutyunyan
(born 1948)
Independent 30 July 1992 2 February 1993 3rd
4 Hrant Bagratyan
(born 1958)
PANM 2 February 1993 26 July 1995 4th
26 July 1995 4 November 1996 1995 5th PANM • RPA
5 Armen Sarkissian
(born 1952)
Independent 4 November 1996 20 March 1997 6th
6 Robert Kocharyan
(born 1954)
Independent 20 March 1997 10 April 1998 7th RPA • ARF
7 Armen Darbinyan
(born 1964)
Independent 10 April 1998 11 June 1999 8th RPA • ARF • ACP
8 Vazgen Sargsyan
(1959–1999)
RPA 11 June 1999 27 October 1999 1999 9th RPA • PPA • ARF
9 Aram Sargsyan
(born 1961)
RPA 3 November 1999 2 May 2000 10th
10 Andranik Margaryan
(1951–2007)
RPA 2 May 2000 25 May 2003 11th RPA • PPA • ARF • Heritage
25 May 2003 25 March 2007
(Died in office)
2003 12th RPA • ARF • Heritage
Serzh Sargsyan
(born 1954)
RPA 25 March 2007 4 April 2007
11 4 April 2007 7 April 2008 13th
12 Tigran Sargsyan
(born 1960)
RPA 9 April 2008 6 May 2012 2007 14th RPA • ARF • OEK • PAP
6 May 2012 19 April 2013 2012 15th RPA • OEK
19 April 2013 13 April 2014 16th
13 Hovik Abrahamyan
(born 1959)
RPA 13 April 2014 8 September 2016 17th RPA • OEK • ARF
14 Karen Karapetyan
(born 1963)
RPA 13 September 2016 18 May 2017 18th RPA • ARF
18 May 2017 17 April 2018 2017 19th
15 Serzh Sargsyan
(born 1954)
RPA 17 April 2018 23 April 2018 20th
Karen Karapetyan
(born 1963)
RPA 23 April 2018 8 May 2018
16 Nikol Pashinyan
(born 1975)
Civil Contract
(Yelk / My Step)
8 May 2018 14 January 2019 21st Yelk • Tsarukyan Alliance • ARF
14 January 2019 2 August 2021 2018 22nd Civil Contract • Mission • Hanrapetutyun
2 August 2021 Incumbent 2021 23rd Civil Contract

Notes

     α.   ^ Assassinated while in office in the 1999 Armenian parliament shooting.

     β.   ^ Died of heart attack while in office.

References

  1. ^ "PM Nikol Pashinyan receives congratulations on 27th anniversary of Armenia's independence". Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019., The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
  2. ^ "Hovhannes Kajaznuni and Aram Manukyan: Armenia's Forgotten Founding Fathers – Chai Khana". 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. ^ "How much salary does the Prime Minister get?". iravaban.net. 9 May 2018. Archived from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Constitution of the Republic of Armenia – Library". The President of the Republic of Armenia. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  5. ^ [1] Archived 21 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine,.
  6. ^ "Constitution of the Republic of Armenia - Library - The President of the Republic of Armenia". www.president.am. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  7. ^ "Staff – Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia". The Government of the Republic of Armenia. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.