Politics of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Politics of Armenia takes place in a framework of a presidential
representative democratic
republic, whereby the President is the head of government
, and of a platform multi-party system. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.
voted overwhelmingly for independence in a September 1991 referendum, followed by a presidential election in October 1991 that gave 83% of the vote to Levon Ter-Petrossian
. Ter-Petrossian had been elected head of government in 1990, when the National Democratic Union party defeated the Armenian Communist Party. Ter-Petrossian was re-elected in 1996. Following public demonstrations against Ter-Petrossian's policies on Nagorno-Karabakh
, the President resigned in January 1998 and was replaced by Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan, who was elected President in March 1998. Following the assassination in Parliament
of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan and parliament Speaker Karen Demirchyan
and six other officials, on 27 October 1999, a period of political instability ensued during which an opposition headed by elements of the former Armenian National Movement government attempted unsuccessfully to force Kocharyan to resign. Kocharyan was successful in riding out the unrest. In May 2000, Andranik Margaryan replaced Aram Sargsyan as Prime Minister.
Kocharyan's re-election as president in 2003 was followed by widespread allegations of ballot-rigging. He went on to propose controversial constitutional amendments on the role of parliament. These were rejected in a referendum the following May at the same time as parliamentary elections which left Kocharyan's party in a very powerful position in parliament. There were mounting calls for the President's resignation in early 2004 with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in support of demands for a referendum of confidence in him.
The unicameral parliament (also called the National Assembly
) is dominated by a coalition, called "Unity" (Miasnutyun), between the Republican
and Peoples
Parties and the Agro-Technical Peoples Union, aided by numerous independents. Dashnaksutyun
, which was outlawed by Ter-Petrosian in 1995–96 but legalized again after Ter-Petrosian resigned, also usually supports the government. A new party, the Republic Party
, is headed by ex-Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan, brother of Vazgen Sargsyan, and has become the primary voice of the opposition, which also includes the Armenian Communist Party
, the National Unity party
of Artashes Geghamyan
, and elements of the former Ter-Petrossian government.
The Government of Armenia's stated aim is to build a Western-style parliamentary democracy as the basis of its form of government
. However, international observers have questioned the fairness of Armenia's parliamentary and presidential elections and constitutional referendum since 1995, citing polling deficiencies, lack of cooperation by the Electoral Commission, and poor maintenance of electoral lists and polling places. For the most part however, Armenia is considered one of the more pro-democratic nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States
. Observers noted, though, that opposition parties and candidates have been able to mount credible campaigns and proper polling procedures have been generally followed. Elections since 1998 have represented an improvement in terms of both fairness and efficiency, although they are still considered to have fallen short of international standards. The new constitution of 1995 greatly expanded the powers of the executive branch and gives it much more influence over the judiciary and municipal officials.
The observance of human rights in Armenia is uneven and is marked by shortcomings. Police brutality
allegedly still goes largely unreported, while observers note that defendants are often beaten to extract confessions and are denied visits from relatives and lawyers. Public demonstrations usually take place without government interference, though one rally in November 2000 by an opposition party was followed by the arrest and imprisonment for a month of its organizer. Freedom of religion is not always protected under existing law. Nontraditional churches, especially the Jehovah's Witnesses
, have been subjected to harassment, sometimes violently. All churches apart from the Armenian Apostolic Church
must register with the government, and proselytizing was forbidden by law, though since 1997 the government has pursued more moderate policies. The government's policy toward conscientious objection is in transition, as part of Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe. Most of Armenia's ethnic Azeri population was deported in 1988–1989 and remain refugees, largely in Azerbaijan. Armenia's record on discrimination toward the few remaining national minorities is generally good. The government does not restrict internal or international travel. Although freedom of the press and speech are guaranteed, the government maintains its monopoly over television and radio broadcasting.
on 28 May 1918 as the Democratic Republic of Armenia
(DRA). After the DRA collapsed on 2 December 1920, it was absorbed into the Soviet Union
and became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR
. The TSFSR dissolved in 1936 and Armenia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union known as the Armenian SSR
. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, beginning on 23 September 1991 the official name of the nation has been the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun). The data code for the country is AM.
The capital and largest city is Yerevan
. In addition to the Yerevan administrative region, Armenia is split into ten administrative divisions, known as marzer (singular: marz); these are Ararat
, Aragatsotn, Armavir
, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Lori
, Shirak, Syunik
, Tavush
, and Vayots Dzor
.
The flag of Armenia consists of three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange.
|President of Armenia
|Serzh Sarkisyan
|Republican Party
|9 April 2008
|-
|Prime Minister
|Tigran Sarkisyan
|Republican Party
|9 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Defense
|Seyran Ohanyan
|none
|14 April 2008
|-
|Chief of the staff of the Government
|David Sargsyan
|Republican Party
|22 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Healthcare
|Harutyun Kushkyan
|Prosperous Armenia
|1 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Economy
|Tigran Davtyan
|Republican Party
|December 2010
|-
|Minister of Education and Science
|Armen Ashotyan
|Republican Party
|13 May 2009
|-
|Minister of Foreign Affairs
|Eduard Nalbandyan
|none
|15 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Nature Protection
|Aram Harutyunyan
|Republican Party
|1 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Emergency Situations
|Mher Shahgeldyan
|Rule of Law
|1 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Culture
|Hasmik Poghosyan
|none
|1 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Agriculture
|Sergo Karapetyan
|Rule of Law
|31 December 2010
|-
|Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
|Armen Movsisyan
|Republican Party
|8 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Transport and Communications
|Gurgen Sargsyan
|Rule of Law Party
|21 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Finance
|Vache Gabrielyan
|Republican Party
|December 2010
|-
|Minister of Territorial Administration
|RA Vice Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan
|none
|21 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Urban Development
|Vardan Vardanyan
|Prosperous Armenia
|1 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Justice
|Gevorg Danielyan
|Republican Party
|20 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Diaspora
|Hranush Hacobyan
|Republican Party
|1 October 2008
|-
|Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
|Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan
|Prosperous Armenia
|23 November 2009
|-
|Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs
|Artur Petrosyan
|Prosperous Armenia
|29 January 2010
|}
The Azgayin Zhoghov (or National Assembly
) is the legislative branch of the government of Armenia
. It is a unicameral body of 131 members, elected for four-year terms: 56 members in single-seat constituencies and 75 by proportional representation. The proportional-representation seats in the National Assembly are assigned on a party-list basis amongst those parties that receive at least 5% of the total of the number of the votes.
The unicameral parliament is controlled by a coalition of three political parties: the conservative Republican party http://www.hhk.am, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
, and the Country of Law party. The main opposition is composed of several smaller parties joined in the Justice Bloc
.
The first primary election
in Armenia was held by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
in November 2007 to select the presidential candidate. Some 300.000 people voted.
reduced its Corruption Perceptions Index
for Armenia from 3.0 in 2007 to 2.9 out of 10 (a lower score means more perceived corruption); Armenia slipped from 99th place in 2007 to 109th out of 180 countries surveyed (on a par with Argentina
, Belize, Moldova
, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu
). Despite legislative revisions in relation to elections and party financing, corruption either persists or has re-emerged in new forms.
The United Nations Development Programme
in Armenia views corruption in Armenia as "a serious challenge to its development."
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
republic, whereby the President is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a platform multi-party system. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.
Politics since the dissolution of the Soviet Union
The population of ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
voted overwhelmingly for independence in a September 1991 referendum, followed by a presidential election in October 1991 that gave 83% of the vote to Levon Ter-Petrossian
Levon Ter-Petrossian
Levon Ter-Petrossian , sometimes transliterated Levon Ter-Petrosyan or Ter-Petrosian , was the first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998...
. Ter-Petrossian had been elected head of government in 1990, when the National Democratic Union party defeated the Armenian Communist Party. Ter-Petrossian was re-elected in 1996. Following public demonstrations against Ter-Petrossian's policies on Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, the President resigned in January 1998 and was replaced by Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan, who was elected President in March 1998. Following the assassination in Parliament
1999 Armenian parliament shooting
The 1999 Armenian parliament shooting was an attack on the Armenian parliament in the capital Yerevan on October 27, 1999 at 5:15 p.m, by a group of armed men that killed the Prime Minister of Armenia and 7 other high ranking officials.-Shooting:...
of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan and parliament Speaker Karen Demirchyan
Karen Demirchyan
Karen Demirchyan was a Soviet Armenian communist, First Secretary of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1974 to 1988 and later independent politician...
and six other officials, on 27 October 1999, a period of political instability ensued during which an opposition headed by elements of the former Armenian National Movement government attempted unsuccessfully to force Kocharyan to resign. Kocharyan was successful in riding out the unrest. In May 2000, Andranik Margaryan replaced Aram Sargsyan as Prime Minister.
Kocharyan's re-election as president in 2003 was followed by widespread allegations of ballot-rigging. He went on to propose controversial constitutional amendments on the role of parliament. These were rejected in a referendum the following May at the same time as parliamentary elections which left Kocharyan's party in a very powerful position in parliament. There were mounting calls for the President's resignation in early 2004 with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in support of demands for a referendum of confidence in him.
The unicameral parliament (also called the National Assembly
National Assembly of Armenia
The Azgayin Zhoghov of Armenia is the official name of the legislative branch of the government of Armenia.-History:Until the promulgation of the Hatt-i Sharif of 1839, the patriarch and his clients, within limits, possessed authority over Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire...
) is dominated by a coalition, called "Unity" (Miasnutyun), between the Republican
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
and Peoples
People's Party of Armenia
The People's Party of Armenia is a left-wing socialist political party in Armenia....
Parties and the Agro-Technical Peoples Union, aided by numerous independents. Dashnaksutyun
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
, which was outlawed by Ter-Petrosian in 1995–96 but legalized again after Ter-Petrosian resigned, also usually supports the government. A new party, the Republic Party
Republic (Armenia)
The Republic is an opposition political party in Armenia. The party founded by the ex-members of Republican Party of Armenia and members of "Yerkrapah" Volunteer union- Aram Sargsyan, Albert Bazeyan, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Ara Ketikyan and others, in April, 2001.At the Parliamentary elections of...
, is headed by ex-Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan, brother of Vazgen Sargsyan, and has become the primary voice of the opposition, which also includes the Armenian Communist Party
Armenian Communist Party
The Armenian Communist Party is a communist political party in Armenia.It considers itself the successor of the Communist Party of Armenia of the Soviet Union, since the former leadership of this party, headed by Aram Gasparovich Sarkisyan, dissolved it and established the Democratic Party of...
, the National Unity party
National Unity (Armenia)
The National Unity is a conservative political party in Armenia. It is currently led by Artashes Geghamyan....
of Artashes Geghamyan
Artashes Geghamyan
Artashes Geghamyan is an Armenian politician.Geghamyan, born in Yerevan, finished Chekhov Secondary School in 1966 and graduated from the State Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1971. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1972. From 1989 to 1990 he was the Mayor of Yerevan.In 1990,...
, and elements of the former Ter-Petrossian government.
The Government of Armenia's stated aim is to build a Western-style parliamentary democracy as the basis of its form of government
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
. However, international observers have questioned the fairness of Armenia's parliamentary and presidential elections and constitutional referendum since 1995, citing polling deficiencies, lack of cooperation by the Electoral Commission, and poor maintenance of electoral lists and polling places. For the most part however, Armenia is considered one of the more pro-democratic nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
. Observers noted, though, that opposition parties and candidates have been able to mount credible campaigns and proper polling procedures have been generally followed. Elections since 1998 have represented an improvement in terms of both fairness and efficiency, although they are still considered to have fallen short of international standards. The new constitution of 1995 greatly expanded the powers of the executive branch and gives it much more influence over the judiciary and municipal officials.
The observance of human rights in Armenia is uneven and is marked by shortcomings. Police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
allegedly still goes largely unreported, while observers note that defendants are often beaten to extract confessions and are denied visits from relatives and lawyers. Public demonstrations usually take place without government interference, though one rally in November 2000 by an opposition party was followed by the arrest and imprisonment for a month of its organizer. Freedom of religion is not always protected under existing law. Nontraditional churches, especially the Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, have been subjected to harassment, sometimes violently. All churches apart from the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
must register with the government, and proselytizing was forbidden by law, though since 1997 the government has pursued more moderate policies. The government's policy toward conscientious objection is in transition, as part of Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe. Most of Armenia's ethnic Azeri population was deported in 1988–1989 and remain refugees, largely in Azerbaijan. Armenia's record on discrimination toward the few remaining national minorities is generally good. The government does not restrict internal or international travel. Although freedom of the press and speech are guaranteed, the government maintains its monopoly over television and radio broadcasting.
Government
Armenia became independent from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative RepublicTranscaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic , was a short-lived state composed of the modern-day countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the South Caucasus.-...
on 28 May 1918 as the Democratic Republic of Armenia
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
(DRA). After the DRA collapsed on 2 December 1920, it was absorbed into the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR
Transcaucasian SFSR
The Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic , also known as the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the TSFSR for short, was a short-lived republic of the Soviet Union, lasting from 1922 to 1936...
. The TSFSR dissolved in 1936 and Armenia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union known as the Armenian SSR
Armenian SSR
The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet...
. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, beginning on 23 September 1991 the official name of the nation has been the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun). The data code for the country is AM.
The capital and largest city is Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
. In addition to the Yerevan administrative region, Armenia is split into ten administrative divisions, known as marzer (singular: marz); these are Ararat
Ararat (province)
Ararat is a province of Armenia with capital in Artashat. Named after Mount Ararat, the province borders Turkey to the west and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the south...
, Aragatsotn, Armavir
Armavir (province)
Armavir is a province of Armenia with the capital in Armavir. It is in the west of the country, located in the Ararat valley, between Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats, and shares a 45-mile border with Turkey to the south and west...
, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Lori
Lori (province)
Lori is a province of Armenia. It is in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Its capital is Vanadzor and Stepanavan is its second largest city...
, Shirak, Syunik
Syunik
Syunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan. Other important cities and towns include Goris, Sisian, Meghri, Agarak, and Dastakert...
, Tavush
Tavush
Tavush is a province of Armenia. The marz of Tavush is located in the north of Armenia and borders on Georgia and Azerbaijan.It is well known for its mountains. The most part of its territory is situated 800-1,000 m above sea level...
, and Vayots Dzor
Vayots Dzor
Vayots Dzor is a province of Armenia. It lies in the south-east of the country, bordering the Nakhichevan exclave of Azerbaijan in the west and the Azerbaijan in the east. It covers an area of 2,308 km². With a population of only 53,230 , it is the most sparsely populated province in the country...
.
The flag of Armenia consists of three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange.
Executive branch
The president is elected for a five year term by the people (absolute majority with 2nd round if necessary).|President of Armenia
President of Armenia
President of Armenia is the title of the head of state of Armenia since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.-Democratic Republic of Armenia :*Avetis Aharonyan *Avetik Sahakyan *Avetis Aharonyan -Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and Armenian...
|Serzh Sarkisyan
Serzh Sarkisyan
Serzh Azati Sargsyan is the third President of Armenia. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the conservative Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman, and took office in April 2008.-Personal life:...
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|9 April 2008
|-
|Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Armenia
The Prime Minister of Armenia is the most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "oversee the Government's regular activities and coordinate the work of the Ministers." The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Armenia, but can be removed by...
|Tigran Sarkisyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|9 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Defense
Defence Minister of Armenia
The Defence Minister of Armenia, heading the Ministry of Defense is charged with the political leadership of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The position was established in January 1992 and is currently headed by Seyran Ohanyan. From 1993-1995 there was a concurrent position of the State Minister for...
|Seyran Ohanyan
Seyran Ohanyan
Seyran Ohanyan is the current Defence Minister of Armenia. He has held this position since April 14, 2008.-Biography:Ohanyan was born in the town of Shusha, then a part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union...
|none
|14 April 2008
|-
|Chief of the staff of the Government
|David Sargsyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|22 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Healthcare
|Harutyun Kushkyan
|Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia is a political party in Armenia. It was founded by Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman, in late 2005. It debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 18 seats and 14.68% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.-External...
|1 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Economy
|Tigran Davtyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|December 2010
|-
|Minister of Education and Science
|Armen Ashotyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|13 May 2009
|-
|Minister of Foreign Affairs
|Eduard Nalbandyan
Eduard Nalbandyan
Eduard Nalbandyan is an Armenian diplomat. He is the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia since April 2008....
|none
|15 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Nature Protection
|Aram Harutyunyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|1 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Emergency Situations
|Mher Shahgeldyan
|Rule of Law
Rule of Law (Armenia)
Rule of Law is a centrist political party in Armenia, led by Artur Baghdasarian. It is the fourth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly...
|1 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Culture
|Hasmik Poghosyan
|none
|1 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Agriculture
|Sergo Karapetyan
|Rule of Law
Rule of Law (Armenia)
Rule of Law is a centrist political party in Armenia, led by Artur Baghdasarian. It is the fourth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly...
|31 December 2010
|-
|Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
|Armen Movsisyan
Armen Movsisyan
Armen Movsisyan is the current Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia.-References:...
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|8 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Transport and Communications
|Gurgen Sargsyan
|Rule of Law Party
Rule of Law (Armenia)
Rule of Law is a centrist political party in Armenia, led by Artur Baghdasarian. It is the fourth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly...
|21 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Finance
|Vache Gabrielyan
Vache Gabrielyan
Vache Gabrielyan is an Armenian economist, who has been vice-head of the Central Bank of Armenia since 3 July 2008.He studied economics and public administration. He has a degree in economics from Yerevan State University, and later taught at Yerevan State University, has a Master of Public...
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|December 2010
|-
|Minister of Territorial Administration
|RA Vice Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan
Armen Gevorgyan
-References:...
|none
|21 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Urban Development
|Vardan Vardanyan
|Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia is a political party in Armenia. It was founded by Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman, in late 2005. It debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 18 seats and 14.68% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.-External...
|1 April 2008
|-
|Minister of Justice
|Gevorg Danielyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|20 June 2007
|-
|Minister of Diaspora
|Hranush Hacobyan
|Republican Party
Republican Party of Armenia
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members...
|1 October 2008
|-
|Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
|Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan
|Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia is a political party in Armenia. It was founded by Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman, in late 2005. It debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 18 seats and 14.68% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.-External...
|23 November 2009
|-
|Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs
|Artur Petrosyan
|Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia is a political party in Armenia. It was founded by Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman, in late 2005. It debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 18 seats and 14.68% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.-External...
|29 January 2010
|}
Presidents
- Levon Ter-PetrossianLevon Ter-PetrossianLevon Ter-Petrossian , sometimes transliterated Levon Ter-Petrosyan or Ter-Petrosian , was the first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998...
- Robert Kocharyan
- Serzh Sargsyan
Prime ministers
- Andranik Margaryan
- Aram Sargsyan
- Vazgen Sargsyan
- Armen DarbinyanArmen DarbinyanArmen Darbinyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia on January 23, 1965. In 1986, he received an honors degree at the Department of Economy, Moscow State University. In 1989, Darbinyan completed a post-graduate course at Moscow State University. In 1994, he was appointed First Vice-Chairman of the Central...
- Robert Kocharyan
- Armen SargsyanArmen SargsyanArmen Sarkissian was the Prime Minister of Armenia from November 4, 1996 to March 20, 1997. Previously, he had been Armenia's ambassador in London, having been a faculty member at the University of Cambridge when Armenia became the first country to gain independence from the former Soviet Union.He...
- Hrant BagratyanHrant BagratyanHrant Bagratyan was born on October 18, 1958, in Yerevan, Armenia. He was the Prime Minister of Armenia from February 2, 1993 until November 4, 1996. He was a member of the Pan-Armenian National Movement party. He has PhD in Economics, author of more than 52 scientific articles and 7 books...
- Khosrov HarutyunyanKhosrov HarutyunyanKhosrov Harutyunyan served as the Prime Minister of Armenia from 30 July 1992 until 2 February 1993.-References:...
- Gagik HarutyunyanGagik HarutyunyanGagik Harutyunyan born on March 23, 1948 in Kotayk Province of Armenia. On November 22, 1991 he was elected Prime Minister of Armenia until July 30, 1992....
- Vazgen ManukyanVazgen ManukyanVazgen Manukyan was Prime Minister of Armenia from 1990 to 1991. From 1992 to 1993 Manukyan was acting Minister of Defense....
Legislative branch
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
) is the legislative branch of the government of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. It is a unicameral body of 131 members, elected for four-year terms: 56 members in single-seat constituencies and 75 by proportional representation. The proportional-representation seats in the National Assembly are assigned on a party-list basis amongst those parties that receive at least 5% of the total of the number of the votes.
The unicameral parliament is controlled by a coalition of three political parties: the conservative Republican party http://www.hhk.am, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
, and the Country of Law party. The main opposition is composed of several smaller parties joined in the Justice Bloc
Justice (Armenia)
The Justice is a progressive electoral coalition in Armenia.At the last elections, 25 May 2003, Ardarutyun won 13.6 % of popular votes and 14 out of 131 seats. It is the third largest group in parliament, but the second largest in terms of share of the vote....
.
Political parties and elections
Summary of the 2008 Armenian presidential electionArmenian presidential election, 2008
A presidential election was held in Armenia on 19 February 2008. Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan won the election in the first round according to official results, but this is disputed by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, who officially placed second.The candidacy of Sargsyan was...
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serzh Sargsyan | Republican Party of Armenia Republican Party of Armenia The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded and registered . It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members... |
862,369 | 52.82% |
| Levon Ter-Petrossian Levon Ter-Petrossian Levon Ter-Petrossian , sometimes transliterated Levon Ter-Petrosyan or Ter-Petrosian , was the first President of Armenia from 1991 to 1998... |
351,222 | 21.50% | |
| Artur Baghdasarian Artur Baghdasarian Artur Baghdasarian is an RA politician and former Chairman of the National Assembly of RA. He is the leader of the pro-government Rule of Law party. He is married and has two children.... |
Rule of Law Rule of Law (Armenia) Rule of Law is a centrist political party in Armenia, led by Artur Baghdasarian. It is the fourth largest party in the Armenian National Assembly... |
272,427 | 17.70% |
| Vahan Hovhannisian | Armenian Revolutionary Federation Armenian Revolutionary Federation The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian... |
100,966 | 6.20% |
| Vazgen Manukyan Vazgen Manukyan Vazgen Manukyan was Prime Minister of Armenia from 1990 to 1991. From 1992 to 1993 Manukyan was acting Minister of Defense.... |
National Democratic Union National Democratic Union (Armenia) The National Democratic Union is a political party in Armenia. Vazgen Manukyan is the chairman of the party.... |
21,075 | 1.30% |
| Tigran Karapetyan | People's Party People's Party (Armenia) The People's Party is a political party in Armenia.In the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections it didn't win any seat with a popular vote of 2.74%.... |
9,792 | 0.60% |
| Artashes Geghamian | National Unity National Unity (Armenia) The National Unity is a conservative political party in Armenia. It is currently led by Artashes Geghamyan.... |
7,524 | 0.46% |
| Arman Melikian | 4,399 | 0.27% | |
| Aram Harutyunyan | National Conciliation Party | 2,892 | 0.17% |
| Total | 1,632,666 | 100.00% | |
| Source: defacto.am | |||
The first primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in Armenia was held by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
in November 2007 to select the presidential candidate. Some 300.000 people voted.
Corruption
Political corruption is a widespread and growing problem in Armenian society. In 2008, Transparency InternationalTransparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
reduced its Corruption Perceptions Index
Corruption Perceptions Index
Since 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private...
for Armenia from 3.0 in 2007 to 2.9 out of 10 (a lower score means more perceived corruption); Armenia slipped from 99th place in 2007 to 109th out of 180 countries surveyed (on a par with Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Belize, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
). Despite legislative revisions in relation to elections and party financing, corruption either persists or has re-emerged in new forms.
The United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
in Armenia views corruption in Armenia as "a serious challenge to its development."
External links
- Global Integrity Report: Armenia has information on anti-corruption efforts