Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK
In autumn active political processes caused by preparation for the presidential elections are expected in Armenia. Probably the question on resignation of the prime minister Tigran Sarkisian will be posed, as wide layers of the population, as well as minor and medium businessmen are dissatisfied with his socio-economic policy.
The rumors on resignation of Sarkisian began to be exaggerated ahead of the discussion of the governmental report on the state budget for 2011. Previously the opposition – Dashnaktsuryun and the Armenian National Congress – posed the question on resignation of Premier. The position of Prosperous Armenia is also interesting. The secretary of the parliamentary fraction of Prosperous Armenia, Naira Zograbian, said that the main reason for not joining the ruling coalition was the economic policy provided in the country. “The current economic policy is not able to solve problems of migration, poverty, unemployment, and so on. PMs from our party expressed their position clearly by voting against the five-year program of the government,” Zograbian said.
Probably Dashnaks, ANC, PA, and Heritage will try to prevent the governmental report on the state budget from adoption and will try to pose a question on the vote of lack of confidence in the government. According to the 5th article of the 89th law On the National Council Regulations, after the discussion of the report the prime minister and the Economy Minister should speak. The Economy Minister might propose the project of the NC decision on the governmental report to be voted for or pose a question in the vote of confidence in the government. The 6th article says that if the report wouldn’t be adopted by the parliament, the government can pose the question on the vote of confidence in the government. Therefore, the procedure of adoption of the governmental report on the state budget might be a chance to achieve resignation of the prime minister.
In other words, if the report is not adopted by the parliament, the government would have to resign. The ruling coalition has 75 out of 131 mandates in the NC. In this context a question arises: why have talks on Sarkisian’s resignation begun to spread with new energy in the media controlled by the government?
Probably the authorities want to shift population’s attention from the coming problems. The power shows people sometimes that it can deal with politicians who don’t satisfy the society. The simple strategy is peculiar for Armenia – a “sacrificial goat” is chosen and the power makes him resign.
At first sight one might think that the pro-governmental media promotes irrational and strange schemes. However, considering the coming presidential elections, an effort to create an illusion of negotiations between the RPA and Prosperous Armenia which makes no sharp statements, but hasn’t joined the ruling coalition at the same time, plays against a potential candidate from Prosperous Armenia in the coming presidential elections.
