Abrahamian Warns Ministers Of Dismissal

Armenia - Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian visits villages in Ararat region, 04May2014

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian warned the newly appointed members of his cabinet on Thursday that he will not hesitate to sack them if they fail to live up to his expectations.

Abrahamian stressed that they must do their best to put into practice the new Armenian government’s policy program that will be debated by the National Assembly later this month. Its approval will amount to a parliamentary vote of confidence.

“Every member of the government will be responsible for the program’s implementation and its effectiveness,” he warned the 19 ministers at a weekly cabinet meeting. “A government member who fails to implement the program and is not effective will have to go regardless of how long we have worked together.”

In his publicized remarks, Abrahamian, who was appointed prime minister less than a month ago, did not divulge any details of the program or specify whether it will be very different from the previous government’s plan of actions.

Education Minister Armen Ashotian, who also served in the former cabinet, told reporters afterwards the new government will take “minimum risks” and achieve “maximum results.” He did not elaborate.

For his part, Justice Minister Hovannes Manukian, one of the several new ministers, said that the program of former Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s cabinet was more declarative. “The previous program defined the government’s policies in much more general terms,” he said.

As well as seeking a vote of confidence, Abrahamian also plans to push through the parliament over dozen bills already this month. To that end it asked parliament speaker Galust Sahakian to call an emergency session on the National Assembly next Monday.