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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 6 2015
New internal political panorama of Armenia
5 January 2015 - 12:56pm
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Several key events which significantly influence the internal
political panorama of the country took place in 2014.
The participation of the parliamentary opposition in all the important
processes encouraged confirmation of the new reality - the National
Assembly has completely turned into a political body. The parliament
is not an affix of the executive power, which has been adopting the
"right" laws during 15 years, anymore. For the first time since 1995,
the NA has become an independent political body which is more
independent from the President, even though he controls the
parliamentary majority.
Another important event was a new balance of forces in the NA. It is
the first time in modern Armenian history that about 40% of the seats
are controlled by parties which don't belong to those in power. Today
the parliamentary opposition trio (Prosperous Armenia, the Armenian
National Congress, and Heritage) and Dashnaktsutyun and the Country of
Law have 57-58 of the 131 seats in the parliament.
The third significant event was a decision by the Constitutional Court
on April 2nd on the opposition's request demanding that the Law on
Funded Pensions be recognized as anti-Constitutional. For the first
time, the Constitutional Court made a decision not in favor of the
authorities. The verdict was based on the legal norm which excludes
the restriction of citizens' rights, including the right to property.
Moreover, the Court demanded reconsideration of the law. The verdict
led to the resignation of Tigran Sarkisyan's government, even though
the authorities hid the real reason for the resignation.
The fourth important factor of the internal political life of last
year was the improvement of the opposition's role. The opposition
began to form a political agenda; and the package of 12 demands
presented on June 10th confirmed this. The demands touched on the
elimination of economic monopolies, the tax and customs spheres, using
measures on minimization of socio-economic problems. However, the
authorities have traditionally ignored offers from their political
opponents. Meanwhile, even the implementation of some of these twelve
demands could become a start on the way out of the deep socio-economic
crisis in which Armenia exists. The hardcore position of the
authorities has strengthened confrontation with society, as the
majority of it supports the demands of the trio. As a result, several
meetings were organized by the opposition in autumn in all key cities
of Armenia. The main demand was the resignation of the authorities.
In the end, those in power have got an opposition which has political
initiative and determines the political agenda. It is a sign of the
authorities' weakening.
Due to the powerful wave of protest, President Serzh Sargsyan had to
cancel discussions of constitutional changes which were planned for
the autumn and shift the issue to February 2015. Another sign of the
authorities' weakening was the opposition's rejection of the
President's late offer (on November 10th) to discuss the 12 demands.
The President invited his political opponents to discuss the issue
after the government gave a negative answer to the opposition's
demands. The government stated that it was working on the clauses.
The Vice-President of the ANC, Levon Zurabyan, stated that the trio
had dropped the subject of the 12 clauses. This was unexpected for the
authorities, who accused the trio of marginality, even though it
gathered demonstrations of several thousand people.
Finally, the crisis which hit the financial market of Armenia was an
important event at the end of 2014, which influenced the political
system. The long-lasting policy on artificially strengthening the dram
by the government and encouragement of imports at the expense of
development of exports back-fired on the authorities, including MPs
and officials involved in business affairs. Probably the recent
developments in the financial-economic sphere could encourage
confrontation inside the government forces.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/64273.html
Jan 6 2015
New internal political panorama of Armenia
5 January 2015 - 12:56pm
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Several key events which significantly influence the internal
political panorama of the country took place in 2014.
The participation of the parliamentary opposition in all the important
processes encouraged confirmation of the new reality - the National
Assembly has completely turned into a political body. The parliament
is not an affix of the executive power, which has been adopting the
"right" laws during 15 years, anymore. For the first time since 1995,
the NA has become an independent political body which is more
independent from the President, even though he controls the
parliamentary majority.
Another important event was a new balance of forces in the NA. It is
the first time in modern Armenian history that about 40% of the seats
are controlled by parties which don't belong to those in power. Today
the parliamentary opposition trio (Prosperous Armenia, the Armenian
National Congress, and Heritage) and Dashnaktsutyun and the Country of
Law have 57-58 of the 131 seats in the parliament.
The third significant event was a decision by the Constitutional Court
on April 2nd on the opposition's request demanding that the Law on
Funded Pensions be recognized as anti-Constitutional. For the first
time, the Constitutional Court made a decision not in favor of the
authorities. The verdict was based on the legal norm which excludes
the restriction of citizens' rights, including the right to property.
Moreover, the Court demanded reconsideration of the law. The verdict
led to the resignation of Tigran Sarkisyan's government, even though
the authorities hid the real reason for the resignation.
The fourth important factor of the internal political life of last
year was the improvement of the opposition's role. The opposition
began to form a political agenda; and the package of 12 demands
presented on June 10th confirmed this. The demands touched on the
elimination of economic monopolies, the tax and customs spheres, using
measures on minimization of socio-economic problems. However, the
authorities have traditionally ignored offers from their political
opponents. Meanwhile, even the implementation of some of these twelve
demands could become a start on the way out of the deep socio-economic
crisis in which Armenia exists. The hardcore position of the
authorities has strengthened confrontation with society, as the
majority of it supports the demands of the trio. As a result, several
meetings were organized by the opposition in autumn in all key cities
of Armenia. The main demand was the resignation of the authorities.
In the end, those in power have got an opposition which has political
initiative and determines the political agenda. It is a sign of the
authorities' weakening.
Due to the powerful wave of protest, President Serzh Sargsyan had to
cancel discussions of constitutional changes which were planned for
the autumn and shift the issue to February 2015. Another sign of the
authorities' weakening was the opposition's rejection of the
President's late offer (on November 10th) to discuss the 12 demands.
The President invited his political opponents to discuss the issue
after the government gave a negative answer to the opposition's
demands. The government stated that it was working on the clauses.
The Vice-President of the ANC, Levon Zurabyan, stated that the trio
had dropped the subject of the 12 clauses. This was unexpected for the
authorities, who accused the trio of marginality, even though it
gathered demonstrations of several thousand people.
Finally, the crisis which hit the financial market of Armenia was an
important event at the end of 2014, which influenced the political
system. The long-lasting policy on artificially strengthening the dram
by the government and encouragement of imports at the expense of
development of exports back-fired on the authorities, including MPs
and officials involved in business affairs. Probably the recent
developments in the financial-economic sphere could encourage
confrontation inside the government forces.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/64273.html