YEREVAN, April 9. /ARKA/. Armenia’s new president Armen Sarkissian who was sworn in on Monday in a special inauguration ceremony, accepted the resignation of the government.
In 2015 Armenian voters approved shifting from the so-called semi-presidential form of government to a parliamentary republic. Under the change, the presidency is largely a ceremonial position. Sarkissian, the new president, was chosen for the post last month by the parliament, unlike his predecessors who were elected in a national vote.
The nomination of candidates for the post of prime minister, vested with the bulk of power in the country, starts on April 9 and ends on April 16th. The prime minister will be elected by the Armenian parliament on April 17.
Candidates for the position of prime ministers are to be named by parliamentary factions. The candidate who will gain more than half of the votes of all MPs will be elected as head of the government. If the parliament fails to elect prime minister in the first attempt, a new ballot will be held on the seventh day with new candidates, but this time those candidates will be eligible who were nominated by at least one third of the total number of deputies.
If no prime minister is elected by a majority vote of the total number of deputies, then the National Assembly dissolves. The election of prime minister is to be held by roll-call voting. The president then immediately appoints as prime minister the candidate elected by the National Assembly.
The new government is to be formed within a period of fifteen days following appointment of prime minister, who within a period of five days following his or her appointment, is to propose to the president candidates for Cabinet members. The president within a period of three days, is either to appoint deputy prime ministers and ministers, or apply to the Constitutional Court to ask it to examine the application and take a decision within a period of five days.
The prime minister submits a government program to the National Assembly within twenty days after the formation of the government, which must be approved within seven days by a majority of the total number of deputies. If the National Assembly does not approve the government’s program, it will be dissolved.
If all these procedures are implemented in accordance with the stipulated terms, then the new government is to be formed in the first ten days of May. -0-
