NEW CHALLENGES OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARISM AND MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY: ILLUSIONS AND REALITY. INTERVIEW WITH ASHOT ALEKSANYAN

Magda Arsenyan

EUCACIS in Brief

No. 10 September 2019

PhD Support Programme The EU, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the International System About EUCACIS “The EU, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the International System” (EUCACIS) is a PhD Support Programme for Postgraduates and Doctoral Researchers in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, organized by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) and the Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE). Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and the programme Erasmus+, it offers scholarships for three years to excellent postgraduates who are working on a doctoral thesis in political science, contemporary history or economics on a topic related to its thematic focus at a university or academy of sciences in the Southern Caucasus or Central Asia (including Afghanistan, the Kashmir region in India and the autonomous region Xinjiang in China). It is the objective of the EUCACIS programme to EUCACIS.eu provide intensive PhD research training for its participants to bring them closer to international standards, to support them until they submit their doctoral theses, and to help them establish their own networks with other young researchers in the target regions and in Europe. This will be achieved through four international conferences, four PhD schools, two research training stays and continuous online coaching.

About IEP Since 1959, the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) has been active in the field of European integration as a non-profit organisation. It is one of Germany’s leading research institutes on foreign and European policy. IEP works at the interface of academia, politics, administration, and civic education. In doing so, IEP’s task include scientific analyses of problems surrounding European politics and integration. www.iep-berlin.de

About CIFE The Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE) is a private institution of higher education and research, founded in 1954 with its head office in Nice and branch offices in Berlin, Brussels and Istanbul. It receives special funding in the framework of the Jean Monnet Programme of the European Union. Students from all continents enroll in its programmes and work as senior officials, consultants and academic experts after graduation. www.cife.eu

About the Series EUCACIS Online Paper comprise research and policy papers on topics related to the thematic focus of the programme, written by fellows of the EUCACIS PhD Support Programme and members of the wider EUCACIS network. It aims at making the debates within the network, notably during the EUCACIS conferences and PhD schools, accessible to a wider public. The papers are available on the programme website: www.eucacis.eu About the Author Magda Arsenyan is an expert on political issues in the “Bright Armenia” faction at National Assembly of Armenia. She studied political science at Yerevan State University, faculty of International Relations. She obtained her master’s degree from the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia (PAARA). Currently, she is a PhD student at PAARA, and a fellow of the PhD Support Programme “The EU, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the International System (EUCACIS)”. Her research focuses on the issues and preconditions for the establishment of parliamentary culture in Armenia.

Editorial team

Publishers: Prof. Dr Mathias Jopp, Head of International Programmes, IEP PD Dr Matthias Waechter, Director General, CIFE

Editors: Dr Susann Heinecke, Programme Manager EUCACIS, CIFE Janny Schulz, Programme Manager EUCACIS, IEP

Layout: Sophia Klumpp, IEP Fabian Weber, IEP

Place of publication: Berlin

ISSN: 2627-7204

Internet: www.eucacis.eu

Email: [email protected]

Hashtag: #EUCACIS

published in September 2019 Introduction 9, 2018. During the period of the election The final achievement of the political campaign of 2018, the activity of the civil society struggle of the opposition leaders and civil organisations (CSOs), social networks, the media, society actors of the non-violent, velvet new political parties and movements—, which and popular revolution in April-May 2018 in gained practical experience of participating in Armenia were the early parliamentary elections elections—sharply increased. The diversity of held on December 9, 2018. However, the gap democratisation tendencies and the peculiarities between the new “velvet parliamentarism” and of political development in our country were democratic culture lies in the fact that until now manifested in the fact that out of more than 100 the relations between the new parliamentary registered political parties only nine political majority and minority, the new ruling party parties and two alliances participated in the early and opposition parties, remain conflicting. This elections. The early elections in 2018 showed hinders the implementation of revolutionary that there is a need to adopt new amendments citizenship-centric ideas, of democratisation, in the current Electoral Code and Constitutional the transformation of the parliamentary form Law “On Parties” of the Republic of Armenia (RA). of governance and of deepening the European These should allow designating the place of integration processes. political parties in the political system of Armenia as well as their rights and conditions of activity. Ashot Aleksanyan is a professor at the Center Further, the amendments should legalise the for European Studies and Chair of Theory financial and material sources of party structures, and History of Political Science of Yerevan fix the principles for relations of parties with State University, Armenia. In this interview, government bodies, identify the main aspects Prof. Aleksanyan evaluates the new trends in of their participation in election campaigns and the relationship between the parliamentary in the activities of representative and legislative majority and the opposition after the early bodies, and regulate the procedure of liquidation parliamentary elections in 2018, as well as of a political party. the transformation and formation of the new government of Armenia. The main obstacles in the process of forming a multiparty system in Armenia are the following: Will the results of the early parliamentary the economic blockade and the closed Armenian- elections in 2018 contribute to the Turkish border, the crisis of the political system development of a parliamentary republic and weak political parties, the frozen conflict and the formation of a multiparty of Nagorno-Karabakh, the decline of the role of democracy in Armenia? the trade union, labour migration, weak social, undemocratic and illiberal ideas, and discussions A.A.: The democratic significance of elections about the choice of development paths. at all levels is huge for the new Armenian statehood and civil society. Elections form Despite the obvious weakness of democratic citizenship, educate all of us and parliamentary traditions, the first steps of show the level of responsibility of the political parliamentarism caused a hot wave of approval elite of our country. Civil disobedience and the and hope in Armenia. Analysing the past and Velvet Revolution played an important role in resent of Armenian parliamentarism, the first the formation of a parliamentary republic and a thing that catches your eye is that the emergence multiparty system in our country. That changed and revival of political parties and parliamentary the balance of political forces and enabled institutions in Armenia is associated with the the opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan and deepest crises of society and state, when the opposition groups to form a new ruling elite. community has discovered complete incapacity The new legitimate “Velvet” reality needed to be of power. The domestic pattern is that, both legalised, which happened and was supported in the past and at present, the outraged by the early elections of the Council of Elders Armenian society demanded changes, and the of Yerevan on September 23, 2018, and the early parliamentary elections on December EUCACIS Online Paper No. 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Parliamentarism and Multiparty 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Interview Parliamentarism No. with Ashot democracy: Aleksanyan Online Illusions and Reality. Paper EUCACIS

4 EUCACIS Online Paper No. 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Parliamentarism and Multiparty democracy: Illusions and Reality. Interview with Ashot Aleksanyan 5 , 1 control control 2 Today in the political space there are numerous and very and numerous are there space political the in Today acute conflict situations that in the short-term can change (or even dramatically) the vector of development of our country. of civil of influence the level - this shows power Civilized control effective which is aimed at society organizations, bodies and local self- government public authority, over government. A.A.: Unfortunately, still, active citizens active citizens still, A.A.: Unfortunately, and members of civil society organizations civil societyand members of organizations still changes are and democratic failed, have is because political representation lingering, because of in our country, still fragmented political in membership of culture transit the parties,weaknessand the leadership of political main goal of political The and the ruling elite. parties the realise in modern Armenia to is those of system political the in representation the whose interests and social groups voters Itparties political parties is through represent. for can be formed platforms various that civil societydialogue between and the state. citizens Armeniansociety, complex In today’s since activelycannot participate life, political in fragmentation organisational is a large there It vacuum. and ideological should be system a transitional in such emphasised that 1 2 Can parliamentary oppositionCan influence activitiesconsolidate and government non-parliamentary political parties? both public authorityboth public and civiliarchic by the community and activistsby is practically political parties.impossible without strong In mechanisms aggregating they are this sense, which on the contrary of citizens, the interest civil disobedience avoid makes it possible to of political partieswhen the balance in of our countrythe parliament is changed. parties the main task of political Therefore, in our parliament is not only the struggle of but also the formation political power, for of the and the composition the ruling elite Unfortunately, it. with associated government parliamentary of a weak under the conditions democracy in Armenia, the political parties are during elections, which for power only fighting in parliament. continues At this stage, the agenda is embedded in this stage, At and parties, political groups Undoubtedly, A.A.: The expectations of citizens, CSOs expectations of citizens, The A.A.: and political parties the newly elected from very are Government Velvet and parliament and establishment the high, as they require functioning public authority of such and state enable the community to that institutions will. their political implement of 2018 according Program the Government’s and the which the new government to parliamentary the solve to majority have and main tasks: 1) Ensuring internal following sustainable development external security, 2) of living conditions; and improvement 3) Ensuring the qualityImproving of life; citizens, of incomes real of growth sustainable of pensions; the level of as the growth as well unemployment, Reduction4) poverty, of against The fight 5) and inflation; migration processes 6) Supportcorruption; of integration 7) Ensuring an innovations; and technological technologies digital of introduction accelerated and 8) and the social sphere; in the economy maintaining and growth Ensuringeconomic political stability. an importantCSOs signed proclamation formal of protection the principleshumanistic of for Especially citizen. and happy dignified a free, organisations, and European international for and civil society defenders human rights of the see the readiness to nice activists, it was democratic implement to new government obligations. What are the main tasks that should that the main tasks are What be reflected in the agenda of the new and parliament? government revolutionary situation itself was brewing. It is brewing. revolutionaryitself was situation is still “revolution” the word that chance not by of the and names preservedin the programs parties.Armenian traditional Why did the parliamentary opposition What were the main features of the latest become subject of conflict between the early parliamentary elections? political parties “Prosperous Armenia” and “Bright Armenia” 3? A.A.: The main features of the current early parliamentary elections were the revolutionary The parliamentary elections of 2018 gave all situation and the obviously low level of political political parties access to the levers of power. competence of both ministers and deputies This was very tempting for many marginal with regard to their understanding of the state political groups. In the political struggle, the institutional structure, their skills, knowledge cause of this conflict is the desire to form and their ability to manage and boost an efficient the image of an oppositionist in the post- development of government and parliamentary revolutionary parliament. However, each of performance. This caused a negative influence on the mentioned political parties involved in the further activities of the new ruling party. In the altercation tries to prove that the main the atmosphere of euphoria as a transitional form motive of its specific activity is the desire to of governance, new members of the government achieve the maximum possible benefits for as well as the newly elected deputies lacked the its voters. Taking into account the peculiarity ability to identify various political interests and of the Armenian political life, it turns out that views, to differ national interests from political two political parties and one coalition that won ones, to throw away the opposition “mask”, and the elections formed parliamentary groups finally, to act as a responsible authority able to that will be limited to parliamentary activities. form measurable and realistic state development Although the struggle for public power is the programs and strategies. In addition, the lack of most important task of political parties, “Bright recognition and resistance from civil servants Armenia” and “Prosperous Armenia” hold that were in a close relationship with the different positions in relation to the government previous authority resulted in the formation and the ruling parliamentary Alliance “My Step”4 of an aggressive socio-political atmosphere, in . “Bright Armenia” is the opposition, which aims calls for non-tolerance, such as the colour based at developing statehood and the European segregation (“black-white” separation) and agenda through liberal-democratic values. At guided hate speech in social media. present, “Bright Armenia”—unlike “Prosperous Armenia”—acts as a constructive opposition. In connection with the revolutionary situation, It criticises the government if it does not agree the former opposition parties and leaders began with something, it supports the government to treat each other with contempt. Unfortunately, when it considers its activities as correct. The according to the existing practice during that party “Bright Armenia” participates in various period, such behaviour and activities of the government bodies as a partner of the party parliament and government can seriously “Civil Contract” and other parties. In this case, aggravate the internal situation and cause while being part of the executive power until a serious systemic crisis of public and legal the parliamentary elections of 2018, “Bright institutions. Especially when, due to the lack of Armenia” bears some responsibility for the administrative experience, it is already possible conflict. After the parliamentary elections of to observe some tendencies of violation of law, 2018, the democratic implementation of state of exertion of political pressure, and of usage of power depended mainly on the “Civil Contract” corruption methods or official positions of high- party, since it was in its hands that the broad ranking officials. possibilities of implementing their own solutions to problems are concentrated. In this context, elections should have performed a selective function of political alternatives and replacement mechanism for some politicians, hence identifying the most 3 The Armenian names of the two parties are “Bargavatch Hayastan” (= Prosperous Armenia) and “Lusavor Hayastan” attractive political programmes and attitudes. (= Bright Armenia). The recent early elections qualitatively changed 4 „My step“ corresponds to the Armenian term „Im Oayl“. not only the composition of the parliament and EUCACIS Online Paper No. 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Parliamentarism and Multiparty 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Interview Parliamentarism No. with Ashot democracy: Aleksanyan Online Illusions and Reality. Paper EUCACIS

6 EUCACIS Online Paper No. 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Parliamentarism and Multiparty democracy: Illusions and Reality. Interview with Ashot Aleksanyan 7 According to the statutes of the four of the four the statutes to According victoryThe the liberals of 2018 led by analytical tools for analysing and predicting analysing for tools analytical such revolutionary observed as situations in Armenia, practical then recommendations crises overcoming for be developed could functioning and of the formation to related modern understand how In to order coalitions. parliamentary need to we democracy works, our parliamentary ideologies understand what formed. are coalitions parties how and have the entire that It can be said with confidence, can be in our parliament political process the prism of ideology in through viewed of party the effectiveness evaluate to order In of the electionsthe context coalitions. of 2018, as the revolutionary events as well level low a relatively characterised by were practices coalition and of responsibility parliamentary former the of parties. Party are coalitions forming ideology and culture in the parliamentaryextremely common countries, European Western of systems very in Armenia which unfortunately are weak For countries. and other new independent experience the in particular, these countries of the partyof the formation ideology and is veryof Germany government the coalition and practical. interesting parliamentary political parties, it becomes and one liberal, of them have three clear that Nevertheless, has a centre-right ideology. maintains Armenia” “Prosperous in reality continues and even conservative behaviours European with various active cooperation parties, 2014 the party as since officially joined and Conservatives of European the Alliance values and democratic Liberal Reformists. Contract” “Civil the the political bases for are “My parties, the which formed “Mission” and 2018 and currently in August alliance Step” led by the parliamentaryconstitute majority, Minister NikolPrime Pashinyan. to a counter-reaction as be interpreted can of the and as an attempt regime, the illiberal However, ideals. new moral society seek for to ideals goes along of new moral the foundation which to serve community, with a unification has Liberalism sides. has its weak therefore but it or language, of values the level at won A.A.: From the very beginning, the issue the very beginning, A.A.: From A positive feature of these elections the was feature A positive of ideological orientation was important was orientation of ideological in among the coalitions of forming the process political majority in the and the opposition Armenian parliamentary party since system, understand all actorshelp better to ideologies the mechanisms of political dialogue and partnership in Armenia. In our political system, party link, the weakest since are ideologies political partiesconsensus find unable to are this can lead to Thus, a coalition. and form the an example, As a serious political crisis. the resignation and of the coalition collapse during the government of the coalition in 2018, did not add revolutionary events of our country. stability the political system to reliable have If could political scientists What are the main ideological are What of the parliamentary orientations parties? liberalisation of the electoral environment in the electoral of environment liberalisation significantly us to which allowed our country, our electionexpand bring and campaigns parties political advanced more and activists of the role concerns This political life. to social media and the so-called information support especially of election campaigns, voting and identifying results of the final the principle of ensure striving to winners, in the equality materials when using campaign unauthorised methods of media, prohibiting It and propaganda. is apparent campaigning in electionsthese that significance gain the that is indicator main The our country. a serious turningelection into are campaigns will political The domestic political event. of the revolutionary contributed leadership trying it with various this by to counter to tougher including anti-corruptionmeasures, such offenses. sanctions for the balance of political forces in the country of political forces the balance also the mentality but and socio-as a whole, of the societybehaviour political in both the Unfortunately, life. in real and world digital predictor understand to impossible still is it mentality. the directions of change in citizens’ electionsParliamentary of 2023 will show. needs to be adapted at all levels of society, organizations proceed likewise. At the same e.g. at the level of civic culture and common time, international structures are unanimous in consciousness. Liberalism will gradually the fact that in order to increase the efficiency become part of the everyday content of of its activities, it is extremely important to pay political culture, lifestyle, social relations as considerable attention to the establishment and well as all recurring activities of our transitional expansion of dialogue with the civil society. society, including economical aspects. It is obvious that the victory of the liberal- The structure of civil society in Armenia democratic political parties does not yet mean includes non-governmental organisations the victory of liberalism in our society as a (NGOs), professional associations, trade unions, whole, since now the value of human rights, the media, religious organizations, the church, the rule of law and democracy develop in the charitable foundations, social networks and framework of conservative tendencies. At this the like, allowing civil society to become an stage of European integration for the future influential part of the political system in Armenia. ideology of liberalism in modern Armenia, the Our civil society is global, as Armenians live in relationship and dialogue of liberalism with many countries of the world, and the number of conservatism depends on which of the many Armenian diasporas exceeds the total population conservative political parties will gain more of Armenia itself. In concrete terms, currently the influence and dominate socially and politically most actual directions of pan-Armenian target significant decisions. Practically, this means programs between Armenia and the diaspora are that the victory of liberal values has created international integration, educational programs, only a certain initial prerequisite in order to development of Armenian diaspora schools, transfer the activities of society, and each protection and development of the nation’s person to a liberalised society. This highest cultural heritage, recognition of the Armenian level of value may turn out to be abstract Genocide, peaceful resolution of the Nagorno- from the point of view of urgent problems. Karabakh conflict, as well as the involvement After the velvet revolution, our transit society of diaspora entrepreneurs to participate in the is under constant threat that the solution economic programs of the republic. In turn, of complex problems at the economic, the diaspora provides financial support to political, cultural levels at the scale of regions the Armenian civil society through charitable and various groups, despite certain liberal foundations. euphoria, will constantly suffer because of the lack of elaboration of liberal values in practical The Armenian model of interaction between activities of influential political parties. civil society and state in modern conditions is characterized by dualism. It reflects deep What role should civil society internal contradictions in the logic of the organizations play in solving the historical development of the Armenian state problems of domestic and foreign policy and society. According to the first criterion for of Armenia? the classification of interaction models, a statist model has emerged in Armenia. As far as the A.A.: Undoubtedly, in our country the social second criterion is concerned, the interaction network of civil society organizations plays of state and civil society is defined as a dynamic a huge role. The Council of Europe, the OSCE model characteristic of the countries of Western and the EU are actively promoting civil society Europe. The dualistic nature of the Armenian reforms and programs on human rights and model carries both, positive and negative equality issues in Armenia. The relevance potential. On the one hand, the effect of of the role of civil society in Armenia is not complementarity can provide conditions for the only related to the fact that the EU connects formation of a more efficient design and on the issues of improving governance in the South other hand, dualism is associated with the risk of Caucasus region with the participation of civil obstruction. society, but also other leading international EUCACIS Online Paper No. 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Parliamentarism and Multiparty 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Interview Parliamentarism No. with Ashot democracy: Aleksanyan Online Illusions and Reality. Paper EUCACIS

8 EUCACIS Online Paper No. 10 - New Challenges of Armenian Parliamentarism and Multiparty democracy: Illusions and Reality. Interview with Ashot Aleksanyan 9 The experiences of European integration integration European of experiences The reached a level of development where within within where development of a level reached it has political processes, of the the framework the determining influence to potential a great the of development factorsthe future of process. integration European and the participation society of civil deserve meaningful and be handled creatively to as furthershould be seen conditions while process integration an towards between of relations building a new system institutions and state post-revolutionary of success The civil society organizations. of these relations the institutionalisation open broad, is only possible if they are bodies of the post- The and democratic. authorities of Armenia revolutionary state of the EU in use the experience could and the representativeness determining of civil society organizations competence councils public the of members equal are that prevent to in order bodies, under these bureaucratic a formal them of becoming efforts These should be carried institution. out simultaneous with the development principles within internal of democratic themselves. structures of the organizations development of level high the Considering of civil society structures in the EU countries workits organizations, of and the effective they if benefits great get Armenianwill NGOs European their with ties directlydevelop sharing best practices. partners, by i.e. - and pre-revolutionary periods of state 5 ganisations (NGOs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs), organisations (NGOs) and non-profit ganisations and close ties between processes when commercialization philanthropy charitycases of corporate and business (in NGOs and conflate social responsibility) and corporate as well and municipal institutions, NPOs with government as with business. The term “third sector” refers to non-governmental or non-governmental to refers sector” “third term The The long-term integration experience of experience integration long-term The The post-revolutionary Armenian state Armenian post-revolutionary state The control. control. the Armenian civil society under conditions is of the political system of democratisation of institutionalising relations the evolution the OSCE and of Europe, the Council between the EU with our civil society both, national at In the this context, levels. and supranational is Society Civil Partnership Eastern Forum important, of the EU NGOs together bringing and partner Its strengthen is to role countries. the actions civil society coordinate and to which in turn should be involved of NGOs, in their of ongoing reforms in the control participationThe of organisations countries. of the Armenian civil society in the European to due is This uneven. is process integration the legal of forming the fact the process that the activities for of NGOs and the framework of civil of the interaction institutionalisation society the structures with of the EU have of the the beginning since been consistent To association. of an integration creation the civil society has of the EU countries date, itself initiates the intensification of the intensification the itself initiates civil society of of means by organization these new Under their autonomy. developing parties political of the status conditions, is becoming to leads which gradually changing, the self-organization of the ruling for a tool model in Armenia dynamic is The elite. adaptation of a flexible in the use manifested with civil interaction state mechanism of which correlates society organisations, with short-term periods regime of political seeks to government The transformation. civil society open clashes between prevent counter-reform using by state, the and of dynamic effect The tactics. compensation being realized model is largely this interaction The policy the NGO sector. in state relating of development and formation of process both, by Armenian NGOs is accompanied of the third periods of dynamic development sector 5