Armenia is a republic with a presidential governing system. The president is the head of state. According to Chapter 3, Article 49 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia,

"The President of the Republic of Armenia shall uphold the Constitution, and ensure the normal functioning of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities.The President of the Republic shall be the guarantor of the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic."

The same person cannot hold the office of president for more than two consecutive terms. The people directly elect the President for a five-year term. The President's primary responsibility is the formulation of policy, the conduct of foreign and defense policies, and ensuring the normal functioning of state institutions.

The first president of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrossian, was elected on October 16, 1991. In 1998, he resigned. Then-Prime Minister Robert Kocharian became Acting President. Extraordinary elections were set for March 16, 1998. Because no candidate garnered 50% + 1 of the votes, the first round of elections required a run-off between the top two candidates from the 12 original candidates. Acting President Robert Kocharian was elected President of the Republic of Armenia on March 31, 1998.

With the adoption of the Armenian Constitution, the post of Vice-President of the Republic of Armenia was eliminated. Longtime Vice-President Gagik Harutiunian was appointed President of the newly created Constitutional Court in February 1996.

For more information, visit THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA official WEB site: http://www.president.am/