Vazgen Manukyan

Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan (Armenian: Վազգեն Միքայելի Մանուկյան, born 13 February 1946) was the first Prime Minister of Armenia, from 1990 to 1991. From 1992 to 1993 Manukyan was acting Minister of Defense, from 2008 to November 13,[1] 2019 has been the president of the Public Council of Armenia; a state body with a consulting role formed in 2008.[2]

Vazgen Manukyan
1st Prime Minister of Armenia
In office 13 August 1990 – 22 November 1991
President	Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	Gagik Harutyunyan
Defence Minister of Armenia
In office 20 October 1992 – 21 August 1993
President	Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Preceded by	Vazgen Sargsyan
Succeeded by	Serzh Sargsyan
Personal details
Born	(1946-02-13) 13 February 1946 Leninakan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
Political party	National Democratic Union

Manukyan was born in Leninakan (present-day Gyumri) in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, and holds a PhD in mathematics and physical science. He is married and has three children.

He was arrested in December 1988 in Moscow because he was a member of the Karabakh committee and spent six months in prison. He became Prime Minister on 13 August 1990 but resigned on 22 November 1991. After Armenia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, he was elected in parliament three times and ran unsuccessfully for President of Armenia in 1996, 1998 and 2003. Vazgen Manukyan is the Chairman of National Democratic Union party.

It has been alleged that the September 1996 presidential election was rigged to ensure a first round victory for President Levon Ter-Petrossian so that he would not have to face Manukyan in a second round.[3]

In the February 2008 presidential election, Manukyan, running again as the National Democratic Union's candidate, placed fifth with 1.3% of the vote according to final official results.[4]