Lilit Stepanyan, a member of parliament representing the Civil Contract faction, is preparing to relinquish her seat in the National Assembly and take up the position of governor of Kotayk province. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the decision on his Facebook page.
The announcement followed a regular meeting of the Civil Contract party’s governing board, from which the prime minister shared a short video.
According to the Civil Contract party’s electoral list, Ester Sahakyan is next in line to fill the parliamentary seat vacated by Stepanyan, Factor.am reported.
According to her biography published on the Armenian government’s official website, Sahakyan assumed the duties of the prime minister’s chief of protocol on March 15, 2024, and continues to hold the position.
Before that, Sahakyan worked in the Protocol Department of the Prime Minister’s Office, at the My Step charitable foundation and at the Office of the Security Council, where she served as a senior specialist in the Department of Democratic Institutions.
Her professional biography also indicates that she carried out expert work at the Regional Studies Center Foundation between 2016 and 2018.
Factor.am attempted to contact Sahakyan to determine whether she intends to accept the parliamentary mandate or prefers to continue working in the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the outlet was unable to reach her for comment.
Under a decision by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Sahakyan, who serves as chief of protocol, has been granted maternity leave from October 12, 2026, through February 28, 2027, inclusive.
