SafekipediaGovernment of Armenia
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The Government of the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Կառավարություն) is the group of leaders who help run the country. This group is called the executive branch, and it is one of the three main parts of Armenia’s government. The leaders in this branch are called government ministers, and they work together to make important decisions for the country.
This executive branch is led by the Prime Minister of Armenia, who is the main leader of the government. The Prime Minister and the ministers work as a team, discussing and deciding on laws, policies, and plans that affect everyone living in Armenia. Their job is to help the country grow, solve problems, and make sure people’s needs are met.
For the government as it is today, you can learn more about the Third Pashinyan government, which is the current team leading Armenia. This group works closely with other parts of the government to guide the country forward and support its people.
Current government
Main article: Third Pashinyan government
The current government of Armenia is led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He is the leader of the party called Civil Contract, which won elections in December 2018. He became prime minister on January 14, 2019, after being chosen by the President, Armen Sarkissian.
Powers
The Government of Armenia has several important roles. It must create and follow the country's policies both at home and abroad, working together with the President. The government is in charge of managing state property, handling money matters, and making sure laws are followed.
The government also prepares a program and a budget to share with the National Assembly. This budget must be ready before the start of each year. If the National Assembly does not approve the government's program twice in a row, the President can dissolve the National Assembly. The government cannot be involved in business activities except for teaching, creating, or academic work. It also has a say in local community leaders and regional governors.
Leaders
Each of the three Armenian Republics had a group of leaders called an executive branch, and each was led by a prime minister.
Prime Ministers of Armenia
Chairman of the Council of the Ministers of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic
The government of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic worked similarly to other Soviet republics. It followed rules set in the USSR constitution. The main group in charge was called the Council of People's Commissars. It was chosen by the Supreme Soviet, the highest decision-making body. The Council included several important positions such as a Chairman, Vice-chairman, and leaders of different areas like food, agriculture, and education. The Council made decisions and checked that they were carried out. It reported to the Supreme Soviet and, when the Supreme Soviet was not meeting, to its Presidium.
Prime Ministers of the First Armenian Republic
On May 30, 1918, leaders decided that Armenia should be a republic with its own government. The head of this government was the prime minister, chosen by the National Council of Armenia. The prime minister later formed his own team of leaders. The first prime minister was Hovhannes Katchaznouni, and his team included five members, all from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The government created a ministry for internal affairs, led by Aram Manukian. This ministry handled tasks like building schools, setting up railroads, and keeping order.
Prime ministers also dealt with issues both inside and outside Armenia. For example, Hamazasp Ohanjyan and Avetis Aharonian traveled to Berlin to improve relations between Turkey and Armenia, though they were not successful.
| Prime Minister | Years in office | Party membership | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikol Pashinyan | 2018– | Civil Contract | See First Pashinyan government for list of cabinet members Acting prime minister after resignation on 16 October 2018. Re-elected on 14 January 2019. See Second Pashinyan government for list of cabinet members |
| Serzh Sargsyan | 2018 | RPA | See Second Serzh Sargsyan government for list of cabinet members. Serzh Sargsyan was elected as prime minister and resigned after six days under large scale protests known as 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution |
| Karen Karapetyan | 2016–2018 | RPA | See Karapetyan government for list of cabinet members |
| Hovik Abrahamyan | 2014–2016 | RPA | See Abrahamyan government for list of cabinet members. President of the Council of the Armenian State University of Economics. Awarded First Grade medal "For Services Contributed to the Motherland." Awarded the Order of "Mesrop Mashtots" for services to the Republic of Artsakh. |
| Tigran Sargsyan | 2008–2014 | RPA | See Tigran Sargsyan government for list of cabinet members. Author of 20 scientific articles, has a military officer rank and Anania Shirakatsi Medal. |
| Serzh Sargsyan | 2007–2008 | RPA | Awarded Battle Cross, Tigran the Great and Golden Eagle orders and other State Awards. Holder of the title of Hero of Artsakh. He is president of the Armenian Chess Federation and the Yerevan State University Academic Board. President of RA since 2008. |
| Andranik Margaryan | 2000–2007 | RPA | Holder of Sourb Mesrop Mashtots Medal. Was decorated with V. Sargsyan and G. Nezhdeh medals of RA Ministry of Defense, V. Sargsyan order of the NEVU, Aram Manukian Medal of RA Police, F. Nansen Medal of Fridjof Nansen Foundation. Died from heart attack in 2007. |
| Aram Sargsyan | 1999–2000 | RPA | Member of Yerkrapah Volunteers Union, Vazgen Sargsyan's brother, founder and leader of Hanrapetutyun Party. |
| Vazgen Sargsyan | 1999 | RPA | National Hero of Artsakh, national hero of Armenia, holder of Golden Eagle Prose writer, member of former SU Writers' Union, author of articles and books Holder of Armenian Komsomol's Lenin award in literature |
| Armen Darbinyan | 1998–1999 | Non-party | Professor, RA NAS Corresponding Member, Doctor of Economics. |
| Robert Kocharyan | 1997–1998 | Non-party | RA president from 1998 to 2008. Holder of Gold Eagle Medal, Hero of Artsakh (NKR), Grigor Lusavorich order (NKR), Legion of Honor (France), Knight of Big Cross (Georgia), Order of Honor (IOC), Order of Vitautas the Great (Lithuania), Knight of Big Cross and White Eagle Order (Poland), Savior Order (Greece), Order of Lebanese Cedar (Lebanon) Awards. |
| Armen Sarkissian | 1996–1997 | Non-party | Member of the International Institute of Strategic Research and the British Astronomical Society, Honorary member of the Pan-Armenian Academic and Scientific Society, Candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. Author of 51 scientific articles and 3 manuals on politics, theoretical physics, astrophysics and computer modeling. |
| Hrant Bagratyan | 1993–1995 | Freedom Party of Armenia, ANC | Academician of Russia's Humanitarian Sciences Academy, Doctor of Economics and Philosophy2005 - Honorary Doctor of Yerevan State Economics Institute
2006 - Independent journalists recognized him as the best economic public man of Armenia for the whole period of the independence. He has authored 7 books and 52 research papers. |
| Khosrov Harutyunyan | 1992–1993 | Christian Democrat Party | 1996-1998–RA Government, senior adviser to the Prime Minister 1998-1999–RA National Assembly Speaker 1999-2000–RA Minister of Territorial Administration |
| Gagik Harutyunyan | 1991–1992 | Non-party | Professor, Doctor of Law, President of the Center of Constitutional Law of Armenia, Coordinator of Emerging Democracy Constitutional Court Conference, Member of the International Academy of Information, International Constitutional Law Association Board Member,“Constitutional Justice” international bulletin's editorial board chairman, Member of Yerevan State University Law Department's Scientific Board, author of over 200 research works. |
| Vazgen Manukyan | 1990–1991 | ADU | Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, senior lecturer First chairman of AAM, Director of the Center of Strategic Studies. |
| Prime Minister/Chairman | Years in office | Other information |
|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Margaryants | 1989–1990 | V. Margaryants had to deal with the reconstruction of the earthquake zone like his predecessor. He was appointed as the first minister over a dozen ministers from the Center. |
| Fadey Sargsyan | 1977–1989 | During the tenure of Fadey Sargsyan he always was in the territory of destruction of 1988, December 7 earthquake. He was responsible of eliminating the results of destructions. |
| Grigor Arzumanyan | 1972–1976 | Microelectronic, light and food industry developed rapidly during the tenure of Grigor Arzumanyan. |
| Badal Muradyan | 1966–1972 | B. Muradyan's tenure was during Brejnev's “standstill” and everything that was happening in Center transferred in a chain reaction to subordinate republics. |
| Anton Kochinyan | 1952–1966 | Arpa-Sevan underground aqueduct, the monument for the Genocide victims were built during Anton Kochinyan's tenure. The idea to build a metro in Yerevan and the decision of building the atomic electro station also were A. Kochinyan's. |
| Sahak Karapetyan | 1947–1952 | During S. Karapetyan tenure the large immigration took place. In 1949 in the middle of Karapetyan's tenure 12,000 Armenians were deported to Altai. |
| Aghasi Sargsyan | 1943–1947 | Aghasi Sargsyan's tenure was the most difficult one, as he was a prime minister/chairman during the World War II, but he was able to overcome that and move the country from that situation. |
| Aram Piruzyan | 1937–1943 | Aram Piruzyan's tenure was at the beginning of World War II and he was responsible for organizing the production of military products in factories. |
| Abraham Guloyan | 1935–1937 | His tenure coincided with the saddest years of USSR, the beginning of violence, when the brightest individuals of USSR were “beheaded”, when the whole country became one traitor camp, when stones were being thrown at everyone and everything, otherwise you would be on the guillotine. Neither Guloyan was spared by the guillotine of person cult: he perished by Stalin's order in 1937. |
| Sahak Ter-Gabrielyan | 1928–1935 | Another Stalin's violence victim was Sahak Ter-Bagrielyan. During his tenure several revolutions took place in villages and it was very difficult to govern country, but he was able to create several new industrial branches. |
| Sargis Hambardzumyan | 1925–1928 | The first and second hydroelectric stations were built during the tenure of S. Hambardzumyan. He also was Zangezur cooper mines heas till 1928. |
| Sargis Lukashin (Srapionyan) | 1922–1925 | Lukashin was the one who started to create a new economy in country. In 1923 he began the construction of hydro power plants, he built Hrazdan river hydro power plant, but the construction was ended the time when he was no longer the prime minister. |
| Alexandr Myasnikyan | 1921–1922 | Alexandr Myasnikyan was the first chairman of Soviet Armenia. Al. Tamanyan who was banished from Armenia returned during his tenure. Alexandr Myasnikyan died on the plane, while flying to Abkhazia, and there are opinions that it was a murder organized by Lavrenti Beria. |
| Prime Minister | Years in office | Political party | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Vratsyan | 11/1920–12/1920 | ARF | The government headed by Simon Vratsyan had a short life (8 days). The government wanted to create a peaceful combination with neighbor countries and remove the country from the “whirlpool”. |
| Hamazasp Ohanjanyan | 05/1920–11/1920 | ARF | During the tenure of Hamazasp Ohanjanyan in agriculture and state property industries the important work was done. The government also confirmed academic Al. Tamanyan's and painter Kojoyan's project of national coat of arms. On August 10 the Sèvres treaty was signed and was created a United Armenia, which was a dream of centuries. |
| Alexandr Khatisyan | 05/1919–05/1920 | ARF | During 1919–1920 the government had problems with a favorable state loans creation, giving state assistance to working-class people, encouraging the entrance of private capital, use productive taxation mechanisms. Also the government decided not to solve problems with neighbors with the help of weapon. |
| Hovhannes Kajaznuni | 07/1918–05/1919 | ARF | The first prime minister of the First Republic of Armenia was Hovhannes Qajaznani/Igitghanyan. The economy at that time was in very difficult situation, there was no food, no transportation. The prime minister was sent to Europe and USA to find a solution of that problem. He was able to bring back three hundred thousand bags of flour, canned products and a lot of crops. He also was a victim of violence in Soviet Union. |
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