Businessman Samvel Karapetyan Named Prime Ministerial Candidate by “Strong Armenia” Party Ahead of June 7 Elections

With Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, the newly formed Strong Armenia party entered the race on February 12 with a proposal that could reshape the country’s constitutional framework, officially announcing businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan as its candidate for Prime Minister.

The announcement was made during the party’s official presentation event in Yerevan.

The decision was introduced by Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the opposition “Our Way” movement and nephew of Samvel Karapetyan. During the event, he listed not only the political vision of the party but also the specific legal mechanism they intend to use to make his uncle eligible to serve as Prime Minister.

Narek Karapetyan said that their path would rely on Article 148 of Armenia’s Constitution.

“Our Constitution has Article 148, which defines who should be the prime minister of our country,” he said. “It will be through the National Assembly, not through constitutional reforms requiring a referendum.”

He added that constitutional experts were present to confirm the legality of their proposal.

Under Armenia’s current Constitution, a person can be elected to the National Assembly if they:

• Are at least 25 years old

• Have been solely a citizen of Armenia for the past four years

• Have permanently resided in Armenia during those four years

• Have the right to vote

• Are proficient in the Armenian language

Under the current law, a Prime Minister must hold only Armenian citizenship.

At present, Samvel Karapetyan holds dual citizenship — Armenian citizenship and Russian citizenship. Because of this, he does not currently meet the constitutional requirement to serve as Prime Minister.

That is why Strong Armenia says it plans to amend Article 148.

According to Narek Karapetyan, if Strong Armenia wins the June 7 parliamentary elections, the party would initiate amendments to Article 148 twenty days after the vote.

He pledged that with a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, parliament could amend the article to allow any Armenian citizen — including those with dual citizenship — to be elected Prime Minister.

The party argues that a nationwide referendum would not be required.

Several prominent legal and constitutional scholars spoke during the event, supporting the interpretation that Article 148 can be amended through parliament alone.

Among them were:

• Siranush Sahakyan, attorney and president of the International Comparative Law Center

• Artur Khambaryan, Doctor of Law

• Alvina Gyulumyan

• Gevorg Danielyan, head of the Chair of Theory and History of State and Law at Yerevan State University

• Vardan Poghosyan

They explained that Armenia’s Constitution provides three different procedures for amendments. Only certain chapters require a mandatory referendum under Article 202.

According to the experts, Article 148 is not included in the list of articles that require a referendum. Therefore, it can be amended through a two-thirds vote in parliament.

Siranush Sahakyan noted that one amendment procedure allows changes to be made directly by the legislative body.

Alvina Gyulumyan stated that parliament has the authority to amend requirements for the Prime Minister with a qualified majority vote.

Vardan Poghosyan confirmed that Article 148 is not among the constitutionally protected provisions requiring nationwide approval.

If Strong Armenia secures enough seats and obtains two-thirds support in parliament, the amendment could theoretically pass without a public vote.

At the same time, Samvel Karapetyan is currently under house arrest.

He was initially placed in pretrial detention on June 18, 2025. On December 30, that detention was replaced with house arrest. Bail was set at 4 billion drams, along with additional restrictions.

Karapetyan was arrested under an article related to public calls to seize power.

His legal situation adds another layer of complexity to the political developments ahead of the June 7 election.

The June 7 election will determine whether Strong Armenia gains representation in parliament — and whether it has the power to initiate the constitutional changes necessary for Samvel Karapetyan’s nomination.

As Armenia enters a critical election period, the debate over constitutional law, dual citizenship, and political eligibility is likely to intensify — both inside Armenia and across the global Armenian diaspora.

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