Politics in Hayastan

[Mher]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Prosperous Armenia Party leader hospitalized

YEREVAN. – The sources of Armenian News-NEWS.am- have informed that opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairperson and MP Naira Zohrabyan’s had fallen ill during the Euronest assembly being convened Sunday in capital city Yerevan.

We also have learned that Zohrabyan had suffered from kidney problems, and she was taken to hospital on a stretcher.

The PAP leader feels fine now, and she is expected to attend the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly session, which will kick off Monday.

To note, Naira Zohrabyan is also vice-chair of the Euronest Committee on Political Affairs, Human Rights and Democracy.

http://news.am/eng/news/257151.html

[londontsi]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Nikol Pashinyan's Lays Out 'Opposition Roadmap' for Armenia

MP Nikol Pashinyan today laid out ten step “institutional roadmap” for the political opposition in Armenia. The roadmap appeared on his Facebook page.

1 – Establish an institutional political structure (party) that will differ from previous parties by its internal democracy and competitiveness, collaborative management, and the absence of a supreme leader.

2- Inclusion of the best intellectual and civil potential.

3- Create comprehensive program for a future Armenia.

4- Form a shadow government.

5- Form three member teams based on the 1988 local election precincts.

6- Form observer units in the Diaspora that will monitor precinct voting on Election Day.

7- Participate in elections and garner confidence ballot of the people.

8 – Register confidence vote of the people de jure – via summarized reporting of elections or collate evidence regarding widespread ballot fraud.

9 – Achieve regime change by registering official ballot results and/or via a Velvet Revolution, and assume reins of power in Armenia.

10 – Begin implementation of program of a Future Armenia that has won the people’s vote of confidence.

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[londontsi]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

[Mher]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Nikol Pashinyan's Lays Out 'Opposition Roadmap' for Armenia
MP Nikol Pashinyan today laid out ten step “institutional roadmap” for the political opposition in Armenia. The roadmap appeared on his Facebook page.

great list of ideas to implement. Of course it's always great it theory. It remains to be seen if he can put into practice. I'm not sure what to make of the Constitutional reforms coming up and Pashinyan's rejection of them. Before Pashinyan's rejection of them, Sargsyan had the support of the Council of Europe and all opposition parties-except LTP who is hardly relevant anymore.

At the moment Pashinyan and his group represent the only current group in the Armenian political land scape that bring any inspiration and hope for the future.

[Shant03]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

I feel the diaspora needs more leverage and control of the political decisions in Armenia.

[londontsi]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Many Armenians in the diaspora who can and do contribute towards Armenia's development are not even Citizens of Armenia.
Very difficult for the Armenian Government to secede “leverage and control”.

Armenia's problem is the lack of implementation of the law and constitution.

A classic example

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[Mher]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Karabakh Election Campaign Officially Starts

Ara Harutiunian
Հրապարակված է՝ 31.03.2015

Campaigning officially began in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday for upcoming parliamentary elections that promise to be more tightly contested than similar polls held in the past.

About 220 candidates mostly representing 7 political parties will be vying for 33 seats in the Karabakh legislature currently controlled by a three-party coalition allied to Bako Sahakian, the unrecognized republic’s president. Sahakian is not affiliated with any political group.

Twenty-two of the parliament seats are up for grabs under the system of proportional representation. The remaining 11 seats will be distributed on May 3 in single-mandate constituencies.

The three governing parties will be looking to retain their solid majority in Karabakh’s outgoing parliament. The largest of them, Free Fatherland, is led by Arayik Harutiunian, the Karabakh prime minister. The two other members of his coalition are parliament speaker Ashot Ghulian’s Democratic Artsakh Party and the local branch of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).

The government camp is challenged by four other parties. The electoral slate of one of those parties, Movement-88, is topped by Vitaly Balasanian, a retired army general who was Sahakian’s main challenger in the last Karabakh presidential election held in 2012.

According to official results, Balasanian won 32.5 percent of the vote in that election condemned as illegitimate by Azerbaijan. The European Union and some countries, including Georgia and Turkey, also criticized it.

By contrast, U.S., Russian and French diplomats trying to broker a peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict effectively justified the conduct of the 2012 ballot. They said that although their countries do not recognize the Armenian-populated territory as an independent state they “acknowledge the need for the de facto authorities to try to organize democratically the public life of their population with such a procedure.”

Another major opposition contender, the National Revival Party, is a relative newcomer on the Karabakh political stage. The party founded in 2013 is led by Hayk Khanumian, a 30-year-old activist highly critical of the current Karabakh Armenian leadership. Khanumian supported Balasanian’s presidential bid in 2012.

Speaking in Stepanakert last week, Sahakian, whose second and final presidential term expires next year, urged the election candidates to ensure a “civilized” parliamentary race. “Demagoguery and political hysteria are alien to our people,” the Karabakh leader said. “This specificity has greatly contributed to internal political stability and healthy competition in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.”

Earlier in March, Balasanian urged the authorities in Stepanakert to “do everything” to ensure the freedom and fairness of the forthcoming elections. They must be much more democratic than Azerbaijan’s next parliamentary elections slated for November, he said.

“This is a historic chance,” the ex-general told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). “Those who will try to commit irregularities with administrative resources and other methods will be thrown into the dustbin of history.”

The U.S. human rights watchdog Freedom House upgraded Karabakh’s status from “not free” to “partly free” after the 2012 presidential ballot described by it as “competitive.” Azerbaijan, on the other hand, remains a “not free” country, according to Freedom House.

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26930564.html

[Chubs]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

I feel the diaspora needs more leverage and control of the political decisions in Armenia.

I completely disagree 100 percent. The diaspora that actually gets involved is overwhelmingly pro-Western. They claim to be anti-corruption and anti- progov monopoly when in reality they would just like to install their own monopolies so they can feed off the economic kickbacks like Serzh. The last thing Armenia needs to be steered to a side that wont protect it from Turkey or assist it in fighting off Azeri aggression. Alignment with Russia, while maintaining strong 'back up ties' with the EU and NATO is probably best for the nation. Armenia's economy is not integrated into any bloc yet, it has the chance to pull out of whatever it wants if relations go sour.

Nikol Pashinyan's

I agree with some of the things laid out, and it seems like a good start. Anything to get a real opposition out there and not populist clowns like Raffi.

I see some of the main priorities I new government needs to consider:

Preservation of all Republican military officials like Seyran Ohanyan for future use regarding Artsakh, would be a good start. Dissolving the monopolies by implementing reforms that enforce rule of law throughout the country would be an even better start.

An economic road map for the nation should be laid out after dealing with the blood suckers, and perhaps a possible stance on the foreign relations of the nation could be developed as this is being laid out.



Ive been looking into the growth rates of the Middle Eastern countries and comparing it to Armenia. Even countries with large Christian populations seem to have quite high growth rates among them. What is Armenia doing that is different? I know Artsakh had a mass wedding that led to a large population increase, perhaps that is a custom Armenia should adopt?

[Mher]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Armenia has new political party

YEREVAN. – The Civil Accord union of Armenia on Saturday announced about founding a political party in the country.

Civil Accord Governing Board member, opposition Armenian National Congress bloc MP Nikol Pashinyan stated about the aforementioned at the founding congress of the Civil Accord.

“First and foremost, an institutional opposition needs to be created to make changes in the country,” Pashinyan said. “And this is exactly what we will do.”

He noted that the new party will run in the state authority and local government elections in Armenia.

“We will receive a majority of votes in elections and become the country’s president not for the seat, but to make substantial changes to the country,” the opposition MP stated, in particular.

Pashinyan stressed that the implementation of their strategic plan requires an unprecedented consolidation. Hence, the MP called on all Armenians to join them and fight together.

“One-person-centered decisions are not made in our organizations,” Nikol Pashinyan added. “The ruling out of the factor of a super leader is one of the key features here; it shall be governed by the principle of collegiality.”

http://news.am/eng/news/269274.html

[Chubs]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Armenia has new political party

YEREVAN. – The Civil Accord union of Armenia on Saturday announced about founding a political party in the country.

Civil Accord Governing Board member, opposition Armenian National Congress bloc MP Nikol Pashinyan stated about the aforementioned at the founding congress of the Civil Accord.

“First and foremost, an institutional opposition needs to be created to make changes in the country,” Pashinyan said. “And this is exactly what we will do.”

He noted that the new party will run in the state authority and local government elections in Armenia.

“We will receive a majority of votes in elections and become the country’s president not for the seat, but to make substantial changes to the country,” the opposition MP stated, in particular.

Pashinyan stressed that the implementation of their strategic plan requires an unprecedented consolidation. Hence, the MP called on all Armenians to join them and fight together.

“One-person-centered decisions are not made in our organizations,” Nikol Pashinyan added. “The ruling out of the factor of a super leader is one of the key features here; it shall be governed by the principle of collegiality.”

http://news.am/eng/news/269274.html

Has anyone read their manifesto? What changes are they planning on making if they were to gain power?