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FOUNDATION FOR CIVIL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Authors and Editors Samvel Mkhitaryan Chairman of the Foundation, Project initiator and Guidebook Editor in Chief Working and expert group Mkrtich Anushyan Roman Melikyan Armen Grigoryan Marine Papyan Karine Mkhitaryan Ruben Gasparyan Sonia Hakobyan Sevak Hakobyan Ashot Mirzoyan Tamar Azarbaryan Taguhi Khachatryan Naira Aharonyan POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA PARTICIPATING IN THE NATIONAL ASSASSEEEEMBLYMBLY ELECTIONS 2012 UNDER PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM VOTER’S GUIDEGUIDEBOOKBOOK 2012 YEREVAN “POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA PARTICIPATING IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2012 UNDER PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM” VOTER’S GUIDEBOOK -Yerevan “““FOUNDATION“FOUNDATION FOR CIVIL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT””””,,,, YYYEREVYEREVEREVANANANAN,, 2012 ––– 111321323232 pagespages.... Authors and Editors Samvel Mkhitaryan,, Mkrtich Anushyan,, Roman Melikyan, Armen Grigoryan, Marine Papyan, Karine Mkhitaryan, Ruben Gasparyan, Sonia Hakobyan, Sevak Hakobyan, Ashot Mirzoyan, Tamar Azarbaryan, Taguhi Khachatryan, Naira Aharonyan This Voter’s Guidebook presents brief, unbiased, comparative information on activities, objectives, goals and program fundamentals of political parties participating in RA National Assembly elections 2012 under proportional system. This Guidebook is developed on the basis of responses as provided by political parties in the questionnaire developed within the scope of the grant project ''Political Parties of the Republic of Armenia Directory and Voter's Guidebook'' implemented by the Foundation for Civil and Social Development, non-governmental organization (Foundation) and fundamentals included in official public documents of political parties. The Guidebook is designed to be widely disseminated among the public, political scientists, students, NGOs and international organizations, political parties, education institutions, foundations, state authorities. Publication of the Guidebook was supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan. Publication of this Guidebook was made possible by Counterpart International’s Civic Society and Local Government Support Program, and the support of the American people through the Foundation for Civil and Social Development under DFD-A-00-09-00141-00 agreement of partnership agrement No AID-111-LA-10-00001. The content, views and opinions expressed in this Guidebook are those of the political parties and the Foundation of Civil and Social Development, and within the scope of their responsibility and do not necessarily reflect the views of Counterpart International, USAID, US Government, OSCE and OSCE office in Yerevan. This Guidebook is not meant for sale. ISBN 978978----999419994199941----2222----661661661661----3333 © FOUNDATION FOR CCIVILIVIL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2012 2 Dear Reader, It is unquestionable that availability of unbiased, comparative, comprehensive and up-to-date information on ideological distinctions, program goals and objectives of political parties, as well as their positions on critical issues in the focus of public attention plays a decisive role in formation of a conscious political stance among the citizens. Unfortunately, the population of RA is mostly deprived of the opportunity of receiving unbiased and comparative information on RA political parties and their activities, which diminishes the ability of citizens to think independently, shape rationalized opinion and make self-determined conscious decisions. This phenomenon, being a motive for political indifference among wider segments of the population, in addition hinders sustainability, enhanced responsibility and accountability of political parties and development of political society. Consequently, political orientation of citizens disorientated in actual differences of positions of innumerable political parties and political figures and indigent of personal conscious attitude is more often influenced by advertisements, fame of parties and their leaders, differing persuasions and elections bribes. Solution to the above issues and provision of unbiased, comparative and accessible information on activities, objectives, goals and program fundamentals of political parties to the general public was endeavored by the Foundation of Civil and Social Development supported by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia back in 2004 and in 2007 within the framework of project “Political Parties of the Republic of Armenia”, which included development of the database on RA political parties, created in 01.09.2004 and active as of 10.01.2007, as well as development, publication of the Directory on Political Parties of the Republic of Armenia, publicly available in both English and Armenian languages. However, the political field is constantly changing in line with amendments in the legal framework regulating the field, as a result of which appear new political parties, some parties get liquidated, others - merge, change their political standpoints, etc. Consequently, the information on political parties should be regularly revised and updated, especially on the threshold of RA National Assembly and Presidential elections, and the democracy and further development of our country largely depends on whether these elections are going to be free, just, transparent and legal. Thus, the main purpose of development and publication of this guidebook, which presents information on political parties participating in RA National Assembly elections 2012 under proportional system, as well as development of updated database and website on all political parties of RA, is to increase awareness of population on RA political parties through regular provision of systematic, comparative, impartial, accessible and up-to-date information and enhanced responsibility and accountability of political parties. The latter will contribute to enhancement of RA citizens’ civil activity and responsibility, formation of justified political orientation and conscious decision making. Samvel Mkhitaryan, Chairman of the Foundation for Civil and Social Development, Project Initiator and Editor in chief 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ................................................................................................ ............................................................................... ...... 555 POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA PARTICIPATING IN THE NATIONAL ASSASSEEEEMBLYMBLY ELECTIONS 2012 UNDER PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM *** ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................... ...... 666 1.1.1. “PROSPEROUS ARMENIA” PARTY ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ............................... 666 2.2.2. “HERITAGE” PARTY ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ............................................................................................ ............... 181818 3.3.3. "ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS" PARTY ALLIANCE .................................................................................................................................................................................. .................. 282828 3.1. “FREEDOM” PARTY ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ .................................................................................. ..... 282828 3.2. “DEMOCRATIC HOMELAND” PARTY ................................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................... ....... 343434 3.3. ‘’DEMOCR‘’DEMOCRATICATIC WAY’’ PARTY ................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ................... 393939 3.4. PEOPLE’S PARTY OF ARMENIA ................................................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................. ................. 464646 3.5. LIBERAL PARTY OF ARMENIA ..................................................................................................................................................................................