Strong Armenia nominates controversial tycoon for prime minister

The newly established political party Strong Armenia, formed by the Mer Dzevov (Our Way) movement, announced that billionaire businessman Samvel Karapetyan will be its prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming general election, despite apparent constitutional obstacles.

During the party’s meeting at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, Karapetyan’s nephew, Narek Karapetyan, confirmed the nomination and outlined the party’s political agenda and priorities in the event of electoral victory, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Under Armenia’s Constitution, candidates for prime minister must have resided in the country for at least the previous four years and hold solely Armenian citizenship during that period. Karapetyan reportedly holds dual citizenship and has spent most of his time abroad.

The party stated that if elected, it would pursue a legislative amendment to change the legal requirements and enable Karapetyan’s appointment. Lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, speaking at the event, clarified that “changing the regulation stipulated in Article 148 of the Constitution does not require a referendum, as it is not an eternity clause.”

Earlier, Karapetyan was elected president of Strong Armenia. The Tashir Group owner is currently facing charges related to calling for a coup and money laundering, which he denies. He was arrested in the summer of 2025 and initially held in pretrial detention. On December 30, 2025, he was placed under house arrest, later returned to custody, and subsequently reinstalled under house arrest.

By Vafa Guliyeva