Armenia: New Speaker Vows to Pursue Conciliatory Policies

Hovik Abrahamian, a major force within the governing Republican Party of Armenia, has assumed the leadership of the Caucasus country's parliament. Seeking to distance himself from a controversial past, Abrahamian has pledged to act as a conciliator. But many opposition leaders remain leery of the selection.

Abrahamian garnered 110 out of the 115 votes cast in the special speakership election, held in the parliament on September 29. Abrahamian replaced Tigran Torosian, who submitted his resignation under pressure in mid-September and subsequently bolted from the governing party. Torosian will remain an MP, sitting as an independent.

Some political observers believe Abrahamian's election as speaker was a political payoff for valuable service rendered to both former president Robert Kocharian and the incumbent chief executive, Serzh Sargsyan. Abrahamian's meteoric rise to the speakership has helped fuel this perception. He had been serving as Sargsyan's chief of staff, and only became an MP in late August after winning a by-election.

One analyst, Yervand Bozoyan, suggested that Abrahamian had been in line for prime minister, but his association with the March 1 political violence in Yerevan made his appointment untenable. So, after biding his time, Abrahamian had to settle for the parliament speakership.

"Considering the fact that things in Armenia are done more on a personalized level ? one can assume that the post of the National Assembly chairman for Hovik Abrahamian, who played a key role during the elections, is a sort of compensation for not giving him the post of prime minister," Bozoyan said.

The new speaker has a reputation for political partisanship. Indeed, opposition activists believe Abrahamian was among the major instigators of the political tension that culminated in riots that left at least 10 people dead. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. In an acceptance speech in parliament, however, Abrahamian vowed that he would pursue an inclusive approach, in which the governing party would work with the opposition to address lingering political and economic problems. "I expect vigorous and effective joint work for the welfare of the Republic of Armenia," he said.

"Coordinating this body's [parliament's] activities requires specific personal qualities, such as determination to make bold decisions, [and] also an ability and desire to make compromises," he continued.

Republican Party spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov told EurasiaNet that Abrahamian is a "wonderful team player."

"New times are coming, new mentality and new changes," Sharmazanov predicted.

Opposition leaders, however, remain doubtful that Abrahamian's elevation will help promote political and economic stability. At an opposition rally staged September 15, Armenia's leading opposition figure, Levon Ter-Petrosian, characterized Abrahamian's rise as a sign of weakness of the Sargsyan administration. Fearful of losing control of the legislature, Sargsyan had to engineer the appointment of a crony, Ter-Petrosian alleged. "With Hovik Abrahamian's appointment we will ultimately criminalize our national parliament," Ter-Petrosian added.

Opposition political analyst Suren Sureniants suggested that Abrahamian's tenure stands a better chance of exacerbating the already acrimonious political mood rather than easing it. "This change will continue to keep the internal political atmosphere in tension," Sureniants says.

Other government opponents are not willing to rush to judgment. Anahit Bakhshian, a lawyer with the parliament's sole opposition faction, comprising the Heritage Party, says that during a recent meeting with their faction Abrahamian promised big changes. "We should wait and only then make [our] evaluation, Bakhshian told EurasiaNet.