Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
A new Cabinet has been formed in Armenia. Addressing his new ministers, President Serge Sargsyan said that the goal which was set last year on providing 7% economic growth was achieved; the same task was set for 2013. However, according to the President, “qualitative indexes and certain indices of work efficiency and settlement of social problems” are expected from the government.
The new Cabinet is not brand new because changes touched on only three ministers – of economy, of finances, of sport and the youth.
The former minister of finances Vache Gabriyelyan was replaced by the head of the Central Office of the government David Sarkisyan. Sarkisyan in his turn was replaced by Gabriyelyan. The Minister of Economy is now the economist, the former deputy minister of economy Vagram Avanesyan; while the former Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan was appointed the representative of Armenia in WTO.
Weightlifter Yuri Vardanyan replaced Grachia Rostomyan in the Ministry of Sport and the Youth. Experts believe it was a political step. When Prosperous Armenia left the ruling coalition in summer 2012, President and the leader of PA who is the chairman of the National Olympic Committee, Gagik Tsarukyan, agreed that the Minister of Sport should be a person acceptable for the sporting society of Armenia for avoiding conflicts in the sporting sphere. The agreement requires that this sphere shouldn’t be politicized because it will have vicious consequences for sport. Appointment of the multiple weightlifting world and Olympic champion Vardanyan broke this agreement due to two aspects.
Firstly, despite respect for the prestigious athlete by the population, the attitude to him in the sporting world is ambiguous. For example, Vardanyan has very complicated relations with some sporting functionaries; his relations with Tsarukyan cannot be called good as well.
Secondly, there is a political aspect. According to the secretary of the parliamentary fraction of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Ovanes Saakayan, “the former Minister of Sport and the Youth Affairs Grachia Rostomyan represented Prosperous Armenia which voted against the governmental program. It means they are against the course of the government; so the problem had to be solved.” Saakyan also expressed doubts on possible problems between Vardanyan and Tsarukyan.
Two aspects are significant in this situation. First of all, being the minister, Rostomyan froze his membership in PA. Secondly, Vardanyan was President’s ally for several years. Nevertheless, the agreement was violated by the ruling leadership; the new appointment is a political step.
As for the economic sphere, there are no clear internal political grounds, but changes in this sector is much more acute than in the sphere of sport, considering the hardest socio-economic situation. The former Foreign Minister, MP from Prosperous Armenia Vardan Oskanyan thinks that for achievement successes in settlement of numerous socio-economic problems, the government has to provide radical transformation – from the saving policy the country should shift to the extended policy of growth. Secondly, resistance to changes by oligarchs must be broken. Thirdly, the government should not thoughtlessly follow the IMF’s recommendations.
On the one hand, changes in the economic team of the government may mean that the leadership understands existing problems. On the other hand, appointment of two new ministers is not a sign of changing the whole economic policy of the government. Time will tell whether these shuffles are made for providing real changes in the country or it is visible repairs to show the population that the government is striving for real achievements.
