On March 21, under the banner of “Liberty. Justice. Dashnaktsutyun (Federation)” the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun, unveiled its lists of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for May 6. The proportional list comprised of 85 candidates is headed by Bureau member and Head of the ARF-D Parliamentary Faction, Vahan Hovhannesyan. Moreover, eight candidates will run in different single-seat constituencies.
Hovhannesyan was joined by fellow parliament members Armen Rustamyan and Artashes Shahbazyan at a press conference, where they unveiled the lists and discussed some of the reasoning behind the candidates.
They also unveiled the elections poster, the elections motto (“We are your comrade: Liberty, Justice, Dashnaktsutyun”) and the 2012 Pre-election Manifesto.
Explaining that compiling the list was an arduous process, Hovhannesyan asserted that “Our list is the most successful one and individuals named on our list are worthy of becoming parliament members.”
“I believe that voters have realized that the lies and promises [by the ruling elite] must not be trusted. The campaign will be heated and we have serious expectations,” said Hovhannesyan about the outcome of the elections.
Hovhannesyan explained that the ARF-D has kept its promise of shuffling the list and bringing new actors to the legislative arena. As a result, half of the current ARF-D parliamentary bloc is not part of the current list of nominees. Those that have not been incorporated within the list have other responsibilities in the political arena.
Rustamyan told the press conference that there was clear logic behind the list, which seeks to fulfill certain political goals.
“ARF-D aims to change the entire regime and make systematic changes in our country” said Rustamyan.
Under the current electoral code, 90 of the 131 members of parliament are elected on the proportional system, while the remaining 41 members elected on the single-mandate.
Late last year, the ARF-D along with the other parliamentary opposition bloc, the Heritage Party, sought to reform Armenia’s electoral system by proposing a 100-percent proportional system, which they said would minimize voter harassment and vote rigging.
The measure was turned down last month by the ruling coalition governing the parliament.
The ARF-D currently holds 16 seats in the 131-member Parliament. The number of seats is determined by the percentage of the votes garnered by the party after the election. The members of parliament are seated in ascending order of the list submitted to Central Electoral Commission.
Below are the ARF-D candidates:
Proportional list
1. Vahan Hovhannesyan
2. Armen Rustamyan
3. Artashes Shahbazyan
4. Aghvan Vartanyan
5. Artsvik Minasyan
6. Karine Harutunyan
7. Armen Babayan
8. Aramayin Grigoryan
9. Miakel Manoukyan
10. Karen Shalhmouradyan
11. Rouzanna Arakelyan
12. Ara Nranyan
13. Arsen Hambartsoumyan
14. Gagik Gevorkyan
15. Vahram Tamazyan
16. Nouneh Petrossyan
17. Martoun Matevosyan
18. Ishkhan Saghatelyan
19. Vartan Aleksanyan
20. Lillit Galstyan
21. Davit Yeritsyan
22. Nvart Manassyan
23. Zaven Mirzakhanyan
24. Manvel Hairapetyan
25. Romik Manoukyan
26. Artashess Nikoyan
27. Narine Galstyan
28. Artash Hounanyan
29. Souren Manoukyan
30. Nelly Baghdassaryan
31. Karlen Gevorkyan
32. Hakob Matilyan
33. Arman Yeghiazaryan
34. Naira Ghazaryan
35. Arthur Ghazaryan
36. Haroutiun Melikyan
37. Armenouhi Kiureghyan
38. Artsruni Igityan
39. Armen Shaverdyan
40. Gevork Markaryan
41. Nouneh Vartanyan
42. Geregin Sargsyan
43. Naira Mkrtchyan
44. Vartan Davyan
45. Movses Manoukyan
46. Gayaneh Nercicyan
47. Benik Hambartsoumyan
48. Albert Sarkisyan
49. Marine Sarksyan
50. Artak Vartanyan
51. Varazdat Navoyan
52. Margarita Khosteghyan
53. Spartak Asoyan
54. Gnel Sargsyan
55. Hasmik Zakaryan
56. Yenovk Abrahamyan
57. Hovsep Simonyan
58. Esmah Zargaryan
59. Razmik Mkhitaryan
60. Anahit Petrosyan
61. Andranik Ghazaryan
62. Mourad Grigoryan
63. Amalia Aleksanyan
64. Karo Nasibyan
65. Aram Nazaryan
66. Hovhannes Tatevosyan
67. Gvidon Matinyan
68. Anahit Haroutiunyan
69. Aram Babayan
70. Ida Hakopyan
71. Arshavir Gasparyan
72. Sona Pirouzyan
73. Gourgen Vartanyan
74. Eva Soghoyan
75. Vatchakan Hovannesyan
76. Mkrtitch Danielyan
77. Naira Aloyan
78. Garnik Nalbandyan
79. Romik Avanesyan
80. Nektar Hovhannesyan
81. Romik Hambartsoumyan
82. Mayranoush Barsoumyan
83. Edvard Aslanyan
84. Sousanns Poghosyan
85. Levon Gabrielyan
Single-seat constituency list:
- Arthur Yeghiazaryan (No. 8 )
- Karlen Gevorgyan (No. 12)
- Gourgen Shahinyan (No. 15)
- Manvel Hayrapetyan (No. 17)
- Arayik Grigoryan (No. 18)
- Artashes Nikoyan (No. 22)
- Zohrap Torosyan (No. 30)
- Gagik Gevorgyan (No. 38)
