The 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly will hold its first session on January 14, 2019. Composed of 132 members representing three political parties, this is the first parliament elected following a sweeping popular movement in the spring of 2018 that came to be known as the Velvet Revolution, ultimately ending the reign of Serzh Sargsyan and the Republican Party of Armenia.
Snap parliamentary elections took place on December 9, 2019 with 11 political parties and alliances of parties taking part.
In a sweeping victory, the My Step Alliance led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan got 70.42 percent of the vote and secured 88 seats; the Prosperous Armenia Party led by tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan received 8.26 percent and got 26 seats and the Bright Armenia Party led by Edmon Marukyan received 6.37 percent of the vote, securing 18 seats in parliament. The remaining political forces were not able to cross the threshold to get into parliament.
Although voter turnout was low (48.63 percent), these were the first ever snap parliamentary elections held and one of only two uncontested national elections in the country since independence.
During an official ceremony on January 10, all 132 members of Armenia’s National Assembly received their mandates handed to them by voters from across the country.
Here are some interesting facts about Armenia’s new parliament:
Speaker of Parliament
Ararat Mirzoyan – Speaker of Parliament with 131 votes in favor of his candidacy (My Step).
Vice Speakers
Lena Nazaryan (My Step)
Alen Simonyan (My Step)
Vahe Enfiajyan (Prosperous Armenia).
The Government
Prime Minister – Nikol Pashinyan
Deputy Prime Minister – Tigran Avinyan
Deputy Prime Minister – Mher Grigoryan
Minister of Agriculture – Gegham Gevorgyan
Minister of Defense – Davit Tonoyan
Minister of Economic Development and Investments – Tigran Khachatryan
Minister of Education and Science – Arayik Harutyunyan
Minister of Emergency Situations – Feliks Torosyan
Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources – Garegin Baghramyan
Minister of Finance – Atom Janjughazyan
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Minister of Health – Arsen Torosyan
Minister of Justice – Artak Zeynalyan
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs – Zaruhi Batoyan
Minister of Nature Protection – Erik Grigoryan
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs – Gabriel Ghazaryan
Minister of Territorial Administration and Development – Suren Papikyan
Minister of Transport and Information Technologies – Hakob Arshakyan
The presidents of 11 NA Standing Committees
Eight from My Step faction, two from Prosperous Armenia, and one from Bright Armenia.
1 – Committee on Health and Social Affairs – Narek Zeynalyan (My Step)
2 – Committee on Foreign Relations – Ruben Rubinyan (My Step)
3 – Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport – Mkhitar Hayrapetyan (My Step)
4 – Committee on European Integration – Arman Yeghoyan (My Step)
5 – Committee on Defense and Security – Andranik Kocharyan (My Step)
6 – Committee on State and Legal Affairs – Vladimir Vardanyan (My Step)
7 – Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-governance, Agriculture and Environment – Varazdat Karapetyan (My Step)
8 – Committee on Economic Affairs – Babken Tunyan (My Step)
9 – Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs – Naira Zohrabyan (Prosperous Armenia)
10 – Committee on Territorial and Eurasian Integration – Miqayel Melqumyan (Prosperous Armenia)
11 – Committee on Finance and Budget – Mane Tandilyan (Bright Armenia)
Women
As a result of the vote, 32 women were elected to the 7th convocation of the National Assembly. This brings the percentage of women MPs in the 132-member parliament to 24 percent (23 from My Step, 5 from Prosperous Armenia, and 4 from Bright Armenia). The number of women in the previous parliament was 21 or 20 percent of the 105-member Parliament.
Minorities
Armenia’s electoral system also provides a total of up to four reserved seats for the largest national minorities (Yezidis, Russians, Assyrians, and Kurds). Each contestant is permitted to include a subpart on the national list, with up to four candidates from each of the four minorities. Representatives of the country’s minorities including Yezidi, Russian, Assyrian, and Kurdish communities ran on the My Step Alliance ticket and will be represented as part of that faction in parliament.
From Municipal to Federal Politics
The following new MPs had been elected to Yerevan City Council (Council of Elders) in September 2018 and then chose to run in the snap parliamentary elections:
Narine Khachaturyan (My Step)
Gayane Abrahamyan (My Step)
Lusine Badalyan (My Step)
Aleksandr Avetisyan (My Step)
Sona Ghazaryan (My Step)
Narek Zeynalyan (My Step)
Artur Davtyan (My Step)
Arusyak Julhakyan (My Step)
Vahagn Grigoryan (My Step)
Arman Abovyan (Prosperous Armenia)
Ani Samsonyan (Bright Armenia)
Freshmen
The number of MPs who have been elected for the first time is 101 or 76.5 percent.
Age
The median age in the new Parliament is 40.
The youngest Member of Parliament is Sona Ghazaryan (My Step Alliance), who is 25-years-old and the oldest Member of Parliament is Hasanov Knyaz (My Step Alliance), who is 74-years-old.
Highest Votes
A total of 101 MPs are elected through a two-tier proportional system, with candidates elected from a single national list and 13 district lists. The ballot includes the closed national list and the open district list. The district candidates also have to appear on the national list. The voter can, in addition to choosing a national list, also give a preference vote to one district candidate.
The top three candidates, running as part of district electoral lists of the My Step Alliance, the Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia parties, who received the largest number of votes are the following:
My Step Alliance
Sasun Mikayelyan – 31,739
Ararat Mirzoyan – 25,550
Feliks Tsolakyan – 24,172
Prosperous Armenia
Eduard Babayan – 7472
Qajik Gevorgyan – 3371
Vardan Ghukasyan – 3198
Bright Armenia
Edmon Marukyan – 4450
Mane Tandilyan – 3636
Vahram Avagyan – 2146
From Government to Parliament
The following new members of the National Assembly used to serve in the country’s government. All of them, except Mane Tandilyan (Bright Armenia), are part of My Step faction.
1 – Ararat Mirzoyan – First Deputy Prime Minister
2 – Lilit Makunts – Minister of Culture
3 – Ruben Rubinyan – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
4 – Mkhitar Hayrapetyan – Minister of Diaspora
5 – Aren Mkrtchyan – Assistant to the Prime Minister
6 – Karen Sarukhanyan – Governor of Shirak region
7 – Vahe Ghalumyan – Governor of Tavush region
8- Hakob Simidyan – Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration & Development
9 – Hripsime Grigoryan – Chair of State Tourism Committee
10 – Aram Khachatryan – Deputy Governor of Lori region
11 – Armen Pambukhchyan – Deputy Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies
12 – Anna Karapetyan – Head of First Deputy Prime Minister’s Office
13 – Arpine Davoyan – Assistant to the Prime Minister
14 – Arman Boshyan – Head of Social Security Service
15 – Arman Yeghoyan – Press Secretary of Prime Minister
16 – Kristine Poghosyan – Adviser to First Deputy Prime Minister
17 – Vladimir Vardanyan – Chief of Staff of the Constitutional Court
18 – Tigran Ulikhanyan – Deputy Head of State Control Service
19 – Hayk Sargsyan – Deputy Head of State Control Service
20 – Nikolay Baghdasaryan – Adviser to Prime Minister
21 – Hovhannes Hovhannisyan – Deputy Minister of Education and Science
22 – Artak Manukyan – Adviser to Prime Minister
23 – Meri Galstyan – Adviser to Minister of Nature Protection
24 – Armen Khachatryan – Deputy Head of the Traffic Police
25 – Varazdat Karapetyan – Adviser to Prime Minister
26 – Sargis Khandanyan – Deputy Chief of Prime Minister Staff
27 – Lilit Stepanyan – Deputy Director of National Institute of Education
28 – Sofia Hovsepyan – Deputy Governor of Shirak region
29 – Nazeli Baghdasaryan – Adviser to the Governor of Shirak region
30 – Argishti Mekhakyan – Deputy Mayor of Etchmiadzin
31 – Vagharshak Hakobyan – Assistant to the Minister of Diaspora
32 – Sipan Pashinyan – Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development
33 – Mane Tandilyan – Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
Journalists among New Parliamentarians
1 – Hayk Gevorgyan (My Step, The Armenian Times)
2- Sisak Gabrielyan (My Step, Azatutyun)
3 – Taguhi Tovmasyan (My Step, Editor-in-chief of Zhamanak daily)
4 – Gayane Abrahamyan (My Step)
5 – Babken Tunyan (My Step, Founder of B4B news website, 168 Hours) economist
6 – Vahagn Tevosyan (My Step, Public TV Company of Armenia)
7 – Nazeli Baghdasaryan (My Step, Head of Radio Hay Gyumri radio station, author of “In Reality” program at Tsayg Regional TV and Radio Company, political commentator) lawyer
8 – Arman Babajanyan (Bright Armenia, Editor of the Zhamanak daily and founder, editor of Start Media Center, www.1in.am)
Lawyers among the New Parliamentarians
1 – Heriknaz Tigranyan (My Step)
2 – Andranik Kocharyan (My Step)
3 – Nikolay Baghdasaryan (My Step)
4 – Suren Grigoryan (My Step)
5 – Artur Davtyan (My Step)
6 – Arusyak Julhakyan (My Step)
7 – Sergey Atomyan (My Step)
8 – Nazeli Baghdasaryan (My Step)
9 – Erjanik Hakobyan (My Step)
10 – Taron Simonyan (Bright Armenia)
My Step
Mirzoyan Ararat 40, Nazaryan Lena 36, Simonyan Alen 39, Mikayelyan Sasun 62, Makunts Lilit 36, Rubinyan Ruben 29, Hayrapetyan Mkhitar 29, Karapetyan Maria 31, Mkrtchyan Aren 27, Khachaturyan Narine 57, Abrahamyan Gayane 40, Badalyan Lusine 39, Sarukhanyan Karen 33, Beghloyan Anush 50, Ghalumyan Vahe 44, Konjoryan Hayk 32, Hovakimyan Vahagn 45, Simidyan Hakob 36 Aghazaryan Hovik 59, Tigranyan Heriknaz 47, Soghomonyan Eghishe 36, Grigoryan Hripsime 31, Khachatryan Aram 41, Pambukhchyan Armen 35, Torosyan Shirak 47, Karapetyan Anna 42, Gevorgyan Hayk 52, Kocharyan Andranik 58, Igityan Hovhannes 59, Davoyan Arpine 34, Boshyan Arman 33, Yeghoyan Arman 35, Avetisyan Aleksandr 45, Poghosyan Kristine 37, Vardanyan Vladimir 40, Ulikhanyan Tigran 36, Sargsyan Hayk 27, Ghazaryan Taguhi 28, Julfalakyan Arsen 32, Baghdasaryan Nikolay 44, Hovhannisyan Hovhannes 39, Ghazaryan Sona 25, Mkrtchyan Koryun 42, Manukyan Artak 41, Grigoryan Suren 27, Galstyan Meri 31, Zeynalyan Narek 40, Danielyan Hamazasp 35, Gabrielyan Sisak 31, Tovmasyan Taguhi 37, Arakelyan Edgar 36, Gevorgyan Gor 43, Tunyan Babken 39, Hayrapetyan Tatevik 30, Khachatryan Armen 46, Avetisyan Sos 30, Tevosyan Vahagn 41, Vardanyan Tsovinar 39, Davtyan Artur44, Zolyan Mikael 39, Karapetyan Varazdat 45, Julhakyan Arusyak 36, Khandanyan Sargis 29, Stepanyan Lilit 38, Grigoryan Vahagn 39, Yengibaryan Viktor 38, Papoyan Gevorg 32, Hambardzumyan Karen 37, Hovhannisyan Vahe 35, Karapetyan Tigran 38, Petrosyan Artashes 34, Hovsepyan Sofia 38, Movsisyan Sergey 30, Atomyan Sergey 33, Asatryan Matevos 34, Baghdasaryan Nazeli 36, Hakobyan Erjanik 31, Mekhanyan Argisti 33, Gasparyan Tatevik 36, Tevonyan Sedrak 29, Hakobyan Vagharshak 28, Hakobyan Hrachya 39, Pashinyan Sipan 28 Mkrtchyan Narek 30, Bakoyan Rustam 33, Sandikov Aleksey 36, Mikhaylov Arsen 56, Hasanov Knyaz 74.
Elected parliamentarians who withdrew their mandate
The number of MPs who withdrew their mandates is 20 (the first 18 are from My Step faction and the last two from Bright Armenia).
1 – Nikol Pashinyan – Acting RA Prime Minister
2 – Tigran Avinyan – Acting Deputy Prime Minister
3 – Eduard Aghajanyan – Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister
4 – Suren Papikyan – Acting Minister of Territorial Administration and Development
5 – Davit Sanasaryan – Head of State Control Service
6 – Hakob Arshakyan – Acting Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies
7 – Feliks Tsolakyan – Acting Minister of Emergency Situations
8 – Arayik Harutyunyan – Acting Minister of Education and Culture
9 – Erik Grigoryan – Acting Minister of Nature Protection
10 – Arsen Torosyan – Acting Minister of Health
11 – Zaruhi Batoyan – Acting Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
12 – Narek Babayan – Deputy Governor of Syunik region
13 – Trdat Sargsyan – Governor of Vayoc Dzor region
14 – Garik Sargsyan – Governor of Ararat region
15 – Gnel Sanosyan – Governor of Gegharkunik region
16 – Davit Gevorgyan – Governor of Aragatsotn region
17 – Romanos Petrosyan – Governor of Kotayk region
18 – Andrey Ghukasyan – Governor of Lori region
19 – Krist Marukyan
20 – Armen Baghdasaryan
Prosperous Armenia
Tsarukyan Artyom 32, Stepanyan Tigran 58, Gevorgyan Qajik 26, Aghababyan Arayik 57, Arustamyan Nora 28, Madatyan Hrant 55, Dallakyan Artur 47, Babayan Eduard 47, Manukyan David 35, Hayrapetyan Janibek 37, Ghukasyan Vardan 58, Grigoryan Vardevan 66, Zohrabyan Naira 54, Tsarukyan Gagik 63, Melkumyan Mikayel 57, Grigoryan Artur 50, Urikhanyan Tigran 40, Abovyan Arman 46, Enfiajyan Vahe 41, Tonoyan Iveta 38, Petrosyan Gevorg 47, Bagratyan Sergey 56, Isayan Shake 29, Vardanyan Vardan 64, Poghosyan Karine 46, Soghomonyan Soghomon 59.
Bright Armenia
Baghdasaryan Gurgen 42, Gorgisyan Gevorg 33, Marukyan Edmon 38, Tandilyan Mane 41, Andreasyan Edvard 46, Stepanyan Rubik 61, Simonyan Taron 32, Ayvazyan Hrant 50, Minasyan Sarik 39, Babajanyan Arman43, Khachatryan Arkadi 44, Samsonyan Ani 29, Babayan Harutyun 44, Eghiazaryan Armen 39, Kostanyan Anna 32, Simonyan Karen 31, Grigoryan Srbuhi 45, Aleksanyan Sargis 36.
