'Goal is to turn Armenia into a Russian outpost': Samvel Karapetyan named as prime ministerial candidate
Samvel Karapetyan named PM candidate
Businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who became a dollar billionaire in Russia, says he wants to become Armenia’s next prime minister. He is currently in Armenia, where he is under house arrest for calls to seize power. However, at a congress of the Strong Armenia party today, his associates announced that their leader, Samvel Karapetyan, will run for prime minister.
Meanwhile, the constitution bars him from seeking the post. One of the key requirements says a candidate must have held only Armenian citizenship during the past four years. Karapetyan, however, holds not only Armenian citizenship, but also Russian and Cypriot passports.
Samvel Karapetyan entered the political arena in June 2025. Many experts believe that Russia effectively “dispatched” him to Armenia. He had never appeared on the political scene before. Armenian authorities arrested him after his first moves for “public calls to seize power.”
In interviews with local media, he voiced support for the church. This came amid worsening relations between the government and the senior clergy. He said: “If Armenia’s political forces fail to handle this situation, we will have to intervene in the campaign against the church in our own way.” Later, from a detention facility run by the National Security Service, he announced the launch of the “In Our Own Way” movement. More recently, the Karapetyan family founded the Strong Armenia party.
The question of who would run for prime minister from Strong Armenia remained unresolved until the party congress.
Some media outlets reported that the party leader’s nephew, Narek Karapetyan, would take the role. He had coordinated the “In Our Own Way” movement and later the party itself.
“Time has shown that Narek Karapetyan has no real chance of proving himself in politics, given his intellectual and educational level. The party therefore decided to change the candidate. They took this decision to show once again that they do not care about Armenia’s laws. These people, along with the vast majority of their supporters, want to see Armenia fully subordinated to Moscow,” political analyst Robert Gevondyan told JAMnews.
Here is what party members said during the Strong Armenia congress, what Samvel Karapetyan promised voters in his video address, and the political analyst’s comments.
- ‘We will not act against Russia, but will always act in Armenia’s interests’ — Pashinyan
- Moscow banks on ‘new faces’ to push its interests in Armenia
- “No one has the right to threaten Armenia”: Pashinyan responds to statements by prominent businessman
Karapetyan’s party plans legislative amendments to let its candidate take office
Under Article 148 of the constitution, members of the government must meet the same requirements as MPs. Anyone aged 25 or older can become an MP. They must have held only Armenian citizenship for the past four years. They must have lived permanently in the country during that time, have voting rights, and speak Armenian.
Karapetyan holds more than one citizenship, so the Strong Armenia party cannot include him on its election list.
However, party members do not see this as a problem. The congress featured a video with several experts. They argued that this constitutional article can be amended. Some provisions require a referendum, but this one needs only a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.
“Our plan is this. Twenty days after the election, at the first session of the National Assembly, we will introduce a legislative amendment. It will allow any person with Armenian citizenship to become prime minister,” Narek Karapetyan said.
He also claimed that by that time Samvel Karapetyan would hold only Armenian citizenship.
“Rapid development for Armenia”: Karapetyan’s AI-generated video address
A court has banned Samvel Karapetyan, who remains under house arrest, from making public statements. Despite the ban, he addressed party members through a video message. The video used artificial intelligence. His lawyer read the text, and the footage relied on his photograph.
In the address, Karapetyan said he had entered politics “for the sake of a better future for his homeland.” He argued that people are unhappy with the current authorities because they have “failed in everything.” He said this applies to foreign and domestic policy, as well as the socio-economic sphere.
The prime-ministerial candidate said the authorities talk about a “weak peace,” while his party seeks a “strong and dignified” one:
“No country in the world can negotiate a real peace by begging for it.”
Karapetyan promised to strengthen the army and secure rapid development for Armenia:
“In 115 days, a new beginning and a new era will arrive. Armenia will conduct professional, independent, and reasonable diplomacy. It will become a state that talks to all its neighbours and works with all powers, with everyone.”
«Армении нужен сильный, сытый и серьезный лидер» – племянник бизнесмена
Narek Karapetyan said the current authorities “do not want to step aside.” He added that the prime minister wants to stay in office for a third term.
“These people are hungry and cannot get enough. Armenia needs a strong, well-fed, and serious leader,” he said.
Assessing the years of Nikol Pashinyan’s rule, he said the current prime minister has
- “weakened the army,
- seized the courts,
- completely destroyed Artsakh,
- enriched himself along with his team,
- used repression,
- and begun dismantling the institution of the church.”
According to Narek Karapetyan, a strong leader will solve the country’s existing problems, including what he called the “security issue”:
“We are not making promises. We state that the occupied part of Armenia’s territory will be returned peacefully. We will feel safe again. Our country will have guaranteed and lasting peace.”
Political analyst Robert Gevondyan’s comment
“The decision to nominate Samvel Karapetyan as a prime ministerial candidate reflects the intentions of this political force and its domestic and foreign backers. They want to show the public that they do not care about Armenia’s laws or constitution. They want to demonstrate that they have a concrete plan of action. That plan aims to turn Armenia into an outpost of another centre.
No matter what they say about their plans after the election, they will not be able to register Samvel Karapetyan with the Central Election Commission as their number-one candidate for prime minister.
Most likely, someone else will take the top spot. They will then say they nominated that person to avoid legal problems. At the same time, they will present Samvel Karapetyan as the real candidate for prime minister and promise to change the laws after the election.
This does not mean they will hand their votes to another political force, such as former president Robert Kocharyan. It shows they hope that they, Kocharyan, and other opposition forces will win a parliamentary majority and form a government. After that, they would be able to change the laws as they see fit.
They rely on an electorate that wants Russian power to return to Armenia. In their own terms, they want to turn Armenia into an outpost or a province of Russia.
This group of voters remains relatively stable in size. It neither grows nor shrinks significantly. That is why their chances have not changed in recent months.
They hover between 20% and 30%. Karapetyan’s party, Kocharyan, and several other opposition forces with a pro-Russian orientation will all compete for that same 20–30%.
These forces most likely maintain close ties with Russia. Some depend on financial links, others on personal connections. Various opinion polls and political analyses also confirm that they all compete within that same 20–30% range.
I do not think Samvel Karapetyan or people around him are unaware of this. They understand it, but their goals remain clear:
- to retain that 20–30%,
- to become the second political force in parliament,
- and to show Russia or other partners that they remain significant players in Armenia. This would allow them to continue using various resources and opportunities.”
Samvel Karapetyan named PM candidate
Samvel Karapetyan named PM candidate
