Prosperous Armenia

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP; Armenian: Բարգավաճ Հայաստան կուսակցություն, romanized: Bargavach Hayastan kusakts’ut’yun, abbreviated as ԲՀԿ BHK), is a conservative political party in Armenia.[3] It was founded by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan on 30 April 2004, when the constituent congress of the party took place.[4]

Prosperous Armenia
Բարգավաճ Հայաստան Կուսակցություն
LeaderGagik Tsarukyan
Founded30 April 2004
HeadquartersYerevan
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right
National affiliationHomeland Salvation Movement (2020-2021)
European affiliationAlliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (until 2022)[1][2]
Slogan"Safe, Powerful Homeland"
National Assembly
0 / 107
Website
http://www.bhk.am/

Ideologically, the party is positioned as centre-right on the political spectrum,[5] it advocates economic liberalism,[6] closer ties with Russia,[7][8] and regarding the European Union it is eurosceptic,[9][10] while on social issues they are traditionalist.[6] Armenia's second president Robert Kocharyan was instrumental in creation of the party,[11] with some claiming that Kocharyan himself established it.[12] Kocharyan's influence and role in the party is a subject of debate. In 2012, "most analysts" believed Kocharyan was "closely involved in the party."[13] Some "believe that Kocharyan is the secret leader of the party",[14] while others believe he has no influence over PAP.[15]

Ideology

The party maintains a Pro-Russian ideology and is the only outspokenly Eurosceptic party in Armenia. The party advocates for the preservation of national and traditional values, families, and church and state relations as the most important priorities.[16] The party also claims to support building stronger democratic and neighborly relations within the Caucasus region and with Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine and Central Asia. Despite being a pro-Russian and eurosceptic party, Prosperous Armenia does believe in maintaining strong relations and economic partnership with the European Union.[16]

Power base

According to sociologist Karen Sargsyan, the party base largely consists of provincial rural population.[17] Kotayk Province is widely considered its stronghold. During the 2012 parliamentary election, Prosperous Armenia came first and won around 47.5% of the vote in that province, well above the national average of 30%.[18] While in the 28th electoral district, which includes the city of Abovyan and several surrounding villages, the party won over 71%.[19]

Electoral record

The party debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats and 15.1% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.

In the 2012 Armenian parliamentary elections, it more than doubled its share of the vote to 30.12%, winning 35 seats and solidifying its position as the main opposition party.

In the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election, the party participated as part of the Tsarukyan Alliance. The alliance won 31 seats.

Following the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, Prosperous Armenia lost five seats but was still the second largest party in the National Assembly and one of the two official opposition parties, the other being Bright Armenia.

In May 2021, the party confirmed it would participate in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary elections. Following the election, the party won just 3.95% of the popular vote, losing all political representation in the National Assembly. The party currently acts as an extra-parliamentary force.

Percentage of votes won by Prosperous Armenia by electoral district in the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election.

Parliamentary elections
Year Party-list Constituency /total Total seats +/–
Votes % Seats /total
2007
204,483
15.1%
18 / 90
8 / 41
25 / 131
 new
2012
454,673
30.12%
28 / 90
9 / 41
35 / 131
 Increase 10
2017[lower-alpha 1]
428,965
27.35%
31 / 105
 — Decrease 4
2018[20][21]
103,824
8.27%
26 / 132
 — Decrease 5
2021
50,444
3.95%
0 / 107
 — Decrease 26
  1. As part of Tsarukyan Alliance

Presidential elections
Year Candidate Votes % Rank
2008 endorsed Serzh Sargsyan
2013 did not participate

Yerevan City Council elections
Election Mayor candidate Votes % Seats in City Council
2009
Arman Vardanyan
89,131
22.65%
17 / 65
2013
Vartan Oskanian
97,189
23.07%
17 / 65
2017 —
2018
Naira Zohrabyan
25,218
6.95%
5 / 65

Activities

In 2014, Prosperous Armenia and the Armenian Liberal Party signed a cooperation agreement.[22]

On 9 November 2020, the party signed a joint declaration with the other member parties of the Homeland Salvation Movement calling on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign during the 2020–2021 Armenian protests.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Prosperous Armenia joins AECR". Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  2. @EuropeElects (22 September 2022). "Russia: Going forward, the pro-Putin Yedinaya Rossiya party will only be labelled as indirectly affiliated with EPP & ID after YeR's partner 'Prosperous Armenia' was removed from the ECR Party's membership, meaning there is no indirect affiliation between ECR & YeR anymore" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2007). "Armenia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. Fuller, Liz (19 April 2007). "Armenia: Election Campaign Gets Off To Uneasy Start". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  5. "The political framework of Armenia". Lloyds Bank.
  6. "Armenia 2012: An introduction to the political party landscape" (PDF). European Friends of Armenia. 2012. pp. 9–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2016.
  7. Zasztowt, Konrad (9 April 2013). "Armenia between European and Eurasian Integration Models". Warsaw: Polish Institute of International Affairs. p. 1. Retrieved 8 June 2014. ...the pro-Russian party Prosperous Armenia.
  8. Khachatrian, Haroutiun (9 May 2007). "Armenia and Russia Agree: Foreign Policy Change Unlikely After Elections". eurasianet.org. Open Society Institute. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2015. Prosperous Armenia Party, an avowedly pro-Russian stance.
  9. Danielyan, Emil (21 March 2017). "Tsarukian Endorsed By Eurosceptic EU Politicians". azatutyun.am. RFE/RL.
  10. Rowley, Thomas (24 May 2019). "Why are so many Brexiteer politicians cosying up to this Armenian oligarch?". openDemocracy.
  11. Hale, Henry (2014). Patronal Politics. Cambridge University Press. p. 357. ...Prosperous Armenia was a kind of political insurance policy by Kocharian...
  12. "Ashotyan: speech of Armenian president came as response to blackmail, ignorance and stupidity". ARKA News Agency. 13 February 2015. «Prosperous Armenia party was established as a political project of Robert Kocharyan, the second Armenian president, to divide the power resource and ensure the presence of the second president on the country's political arena,» Ashotyan said.
  13. Harutyunyan, Vahe (14 December 2012). "Armenian Opposition Party Shuns Key Election". Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
  14. "Prosperous Armenia leader undisposed to run for presidency". ARKA News Agency. 21 November 2012.
  15. "Robert Kocharyan has no relation to Prosperous Armenia - Iskandaryan". news.am. 14 January 2014.
  16. "Charter & Program | bhk.am". www.bhk.am. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  17. "Realpolitik Կարեն Սարգսյանի հետ" (in Armenian). 1in.am. 14 February 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. around 6:00
  18. "Բարգավաճ Հայաստան Կուսակցության մարզերում ստացած ձայներն՝ ըստ տոկոսների". armlur.am (in Armenian). 14 May 2012.
  19. Results elections.am
  20. ռ/կ, Ազատություն (10 December 2018). "ԿԸՀ-ն ամփոփել է 2010 ընտրատեղամասերի արդյունքները, "Իմ քայլը" ստացել է ձայների 70,43 տոկոսը". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  21. "ՀՀ 7-րդ գումարման ազգային ժողովում կլինի 132 պատգամավոր. "Իմ քայլը" դաշինքը կունենա 88 մանդատ, ԲՀԿ-ն՝ 26, ԼՀԿ-ն՝ 18". www.tert.am. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  22. "The Liberal Party joins the People's Movement" (in Armenian). armlur.am.
  23. "Arminfo: 17 քաղաքական կուսակցություններ պահանջում են Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի և նրա թիմի հրաժարականը". arminfo.info.
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