Detained billionaire Samvel Karapetyan to run for prime minister

The newly-established “Strong Armenia” party has officially announced its founder, the jailed billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, as its candidate for prime minister in the upcoming June elections. The announcement was made Thursday during the party’s official presentation by his nephew Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the “Mer Dzevov” political movement. 

Under the current constitution, a member of parliament cannot be a dual citizen, while Karapetyan holds Russian citizenship in addition to Armenian. 

“Twenty days after the elections, at the first session of the National Assembly, we will propose a legislative amendment allowing any person with Armenian citizenship to become the Prime Minister of Armenia. At that time, Samvel Karapetyan will be solely an Armenian citizen,” Narek Karapetyan said.

At the presentation, constitutional experts explained the legal procedures for amending Article 148 of the Armenian Constitution, which sets requirements for government members. Lawyer Siranush Sahakyan noted that the constitution allows three types of amendments, one of which can be made by parliament alone. She said Article 148 can be amended by a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, without requiring a national referendum.

Samvel Karapetyan is currently under house arrest. His pre-trial detention, imposed in June, was changed in December to house arrest, a four billion dram bail, and other restrictions. He has been detained on charges of publicly calling for the seizure of power related to a comment he made in support of Catholicos Karekin II, amid the church’s conflict with Prime Minister Pashinyan.