It is widely rumored in Armenia that serious changes will happen soon. The first sign will be Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan’s resignation. Citing sources in the president’s administration, local media have already named Abrahamyan’s successor – it will allegedly be Yerevan’s former mayor Karen Karapetyan. The latter is in Armenia these days and is rumored to have already met with President Serzh Sargsyan.
It is noteworthy that the rumors about Hovik Abrahamyan’s resignation are not new. Like his predecessor Tigran Sargsyan, Hovik Abrahamyan has been rumored “resigned” nearly every month. There were even rumors that the prime minister will traditionally leave his post to head the campaign headquarters of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia ahead of the parliamentary elections of 2017. However, it is one thing “to leave” and it is quite another thing to be forced to resign. Sources familiar with the situation say the decision on the prime minister’s resignation has been adopted already and will be made public within the coming days.
It is not for the first time that Karen Karapetyan is rumored to be “appointed” as the prime minister of Armenia. Yet in 2013, after the presidential election, it was widely rumored that he was a candidate for the given post, but Karapetyan disclaimed the rumors saying his appointment was impossible.
Karen Karapetyan occupied the post of the Yerevan mayor in the period from December 2010 through October 2011. After his resignation, Karapetyan was appointed as the first vice president of Gazprombank OJSC.