Policy

ARF-D: Subject-To-Demolition Residences Should Be Free Of Taxes

Although the government’s negative opinion will be confirmed on the January 19 session by the Ministry of Territorial Administration www.news.am reports that ARF-D Parliamentary Faction’s law amendment on exempting the 3rd and 4th category subject-to-demolishion residences from the property taxation has been turned down. ARF-D Members of Parliament Ara Nranyan, Artashes Shahbazyan and Artsvik Minasyan…

ARF-Dashnaktsutyun and Heritage Furious With Council Of Europe Official

Leaders of the two opposition parties represented in Armenia’s parliament accused on Monday a top representative of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) of blatant pro-government bias after meeting him to discuss the political situation in the country. Senior parliamentarians from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun and the Heritage (Zharangutyun) party said that John Prescott,…

Minasyan: Regime Change, The Only Way To Abolish Monopolies

On January 13, representatives from the Armenian National Congress, the Liberal Democrats and ARF-D parties participated in a meeting with the Press, co-organized by the Armenian Center of Political and International Studies and the US Institute for Democracy that was held at the Congress hotel. According to www.azatutyun.am ARF-D Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan pointed…

The two parliamentary opposition parties once again unite for election bill

Today, the Parliamentary Factions of the Heritage (Zharangutyun) and Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun parties took a joint initiative and circulated a proposition-package on amending the ‘Electoral Code’, the ‘National Assembly Regulations’, ‘The Law on the Constitutional Court’ aiming to pass from the current mixed election system to a 100% proportional system. The proposition is supported and…

Opposition Skeptical About New Anti-Graft Body

Armenia’s leading opposition groups voiced skepticism on Wednesday over the formation of a new anti-corruption state body charged with verifying income declarations of senior state officials. The state Commission on the Ethics of High-Ranking Officials consists of five members appointed by President Serzh Sargsyan upon the recommendation of Armenia’s prime minister, parliament speaker, prosecutor-general and…

Minasyan: No Constitutional Obstacles For A 100% Proportional Electoral System

ARF-D Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan said to www.mardik.am that the existence of both a proportional and a single-seat constituency lists of parliamentary candidates violates the Constitution of Armenia which states clearly that the MPs have equal rights and act under the same mandate. Minasyan added that there are no constitutional provisions for neither proportional…

Opposition To Force Parliament Debate On Voting Reform

The two opposition parties represented in the National Assembly said on Monday that they will force a parliament debate on a voting reform which they believe would increase chances for the proper conduct of this year’s Armenian parliamentary elections. In a joint statement issued late last month, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun and the Heritage (Zharangutyun)…

Galstyan: Culture And Political Elite Are Correlated

In an interview with www.7or.am (09/01/2012), asked about if she foresees any changes in the fields of education and culture, ARF-D Member of Parliament Lilit Galstyan stated that Armenia is currently facing a values-reviewing issue that has a lot to do with the political elite of the country. “I am convinced, as a political person…

ARF-D and Heritage propose removal of single-seat constituency list

The two opposition parties in the National Assembly of Armenia, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun and the Heritage Party in line with their collaboration on initiating radical amendments into the electoral law issued a communiqué today proposing the abolition of elections held in single-seat constituencies and the adoption of a 100% proportional representation system, a measure which they…

Minasyan: There’s A 70% Deviation Between Targets And Results

“The gap between the announced targets and the delivered results is reflected on the deterioration of the living conditions, the fast increase of emigration, the extremely heavy socio-phsycological state of the population, the existence of economical monopolies and the growth of unemployment” said to 168 Zham newspaper ARF-D Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan. He added…