The Armenian Communist Party (Armenian: Հայաստանի կոմունիստական կուսակցություն, ՀԿԿ; Hayastani Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, HKK) is a communist party in Armenia. It considers itself the successor to the Armenian branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It is the main communist party in Armenia and claimed 18,000 (mostly elderly) members in 2006.[2] HKK publishes Hayastani Komunist and Pravda Armenii.
Armenian Communist Party Հայաստանի կոմունիստական կուսակցություն | |
|---|---|
 The logo of the party closely resembles the emblem of Soviet Armenia.[1] | |
| Abbreviation | HKK |
| Leader | Tachat Sargsyan |
| Founded | 29 July 1991 (registered) |
| Preceded by | Communist Party of Armenia (Soviet Union) |
| Headquarters | Yerevan |
| Newspaper | Hayastani Komunist |
| Youth wing | Communist Youth Union of Armenia |
| Membership | 18,000 (self-claimed, 2006)[2] |
| Ideology | Communism Marxism–Leninism Russophilia[3] Euroscepticism[4][5][6] Soviet patriotism |
| Political position | Left-wing to far-left |
| International affiliation | IMCWP[7] World Anti-Imperialist Platform[8] |
| Continental affiliation | UCP–CPSU |
| Colors | Red |
| Seats in National Assembly | 0 / 107 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| https://komunist.am/ | |
It should not be confused with the historical Communist Party of Armenia during the Soviet era, nor the Democratic Party of Armenia, a party founded by the last secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia, Aram G. Sargsyan.
Leadership
editThe title of the party leader is First Secretary.
- 1991–1999: Sergey Badalyan
- 2000–2005: Vladimir Darbinyan
- 2005–2013: Ruben Tovmasyan
- 2013–present: Tachat Sargsyan
Ideology
editIn a 1994 rally, the party called for "a new union with Russia", calling it Armenia's "only salvation."[9]
The party's programme in 1999 included:[10]
- Armenia's transformation into a parliamentary republic
- Rejection of Western-style market reforms
- Socialism which embraces a mixed economy, including private property
- Close ties with Russia
- Nagorno-Karabakh's recognition as a subject of international law
- Armenia's accession to the Union State (the party did not explicitly call for the recreation of the USSR)
In 2001, the party and several thousand supporters advocated Armenia's membership into the Union State of Russia and Belarus.[11] They continued the campaign for Armenia's membership into the union with Russia and Belarus in 2002.[12] The party was described as "staunchly pro-Russian" by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in 2002.[4]
At a 2006 rally, the party's slogan was "Down with America, Always with Russia."[13]
In 2011, party members marched through downtown Yerevan towards the square named after Stepan Shahumyan, an early Armenian communist revolutionary. They held banners reading "Socialism", "Long Live the Communist Party of Armenia", "Down with Capitalism", and "Forever with Russia". Its leader, Ruben Tovmasyan, stated: "History has proved that Armenia cannot live without Russia. The moment the Russian flag stops flying in Gyumri [a reference to Russian troops stationed in Armenia] Armenia will start moving towards its end as the enemy will be quick to attack us. The Communist Party of Armenia has always been in favor of consolidation among fraternal peoples."[14]
The party supported the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)[15] and in 2013 welcomed Armenia's accession into the EEU as a "prelude to the restoration of the Soviet Union."[16]
The party also opposes any further European integration of Armenia.[6]
The party supported the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It staged a demonstration in support of Russia's "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine on March 4.[17]
Support base and electoral record
editThe party remained a significant political force in the 1990s under its charismatic leader Sergey Badalyan, who died in 1999.[16] The party's 1994 May Day rally attracted some 10,000 to 60,000 supporters.[9]
While it received only 12.4% of the vote in the July 1995 election, opinion polls both before and after the vote showed significantly more public support for the party. In a November 1994 poll, 40.1% of respondents backed the party and 37.6% did in a November 1995 poll.[19]
In 2003, the Renewed Communist Party of Armenia opted to merge with the Armenian Communist Party.
The Armenian Communist Party has contested in every parliamentary election, but has failed to pass the 5% threshold since 2003. In 2003, the party accused the government of "mass falsifications."[20] The party boycotted the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
| Year | Votes | % | Total seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 93,353 | 12.4% | 10 / 190
|
New | 3rd |
| 1999 | 130,161 | 12% | 10 / 131
|
2nd | |
| 2003 | 24.991 | 2.1% | 0 / 131
|
||
| 2007 | 8,792 | 0.7% | 0 / 131
|
||
| 2012 | 15,899 | 1.45% | 0 / 131
|
||
| 2017 | 11,745 | 0.75% | 0 / 105
|
||
| 2018 | Boycott[21] | 0 / 132
|
|||
| 2021 | Boycott[22] | 0 / 107
|
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See also
edit- Communist Party of Artsakh – brother party in the former Republic of Artsakh
- Politics of Armenia
- Programs of political parties in Armenia
References
edit- ^ a b "Հայաստանի կոմունիստները համագումար են անում" (in Armenian). A1plus. 29 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ a b Gevorgyan, Siranouish; Grigoryan, Marianna (3 November 2006). "Red Remembrance: Bolshevik revolution anniversary kindles nostalgia for diehards". ArmeniaNow. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "Reviving Red?: Armenian Communists mark Sovietization anniversary amid USSR reintegration calls". ArmeniaNow. 1999-11-30. Archived from the original on 2020-07-26. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ a b Zakarian, Armen (14 October 2002). "Russian Communists To 'Help Ease Anti-Armenian Tensions'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Darpinian, who is the first secretary of the staunchly pro-Russian Armenian Communist Party (HKK)...
- ^ "Armenia communists hold rally outside Russia embassy (PHOTOS)". news.am. 25 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Armenia 2017: An introduction to the party-political landscape" (PDF). European Friends of Armenia. March 2017.
- ^ "Communist and Workers' Parties". Solidnet. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
- ^ "Paris Declaration: The rising tide of global war and the tasks of anti-imperialists". World Anti-Imperialist Platform. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ a b "May Day Communist Rally Gathers Thousands in Yerevan". Daily Report: Central Eurasia. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (via ITAR-TASS): 60. 1 May 1994.
- ^ "Report on Armenia's Parliamentary Election May 30, 1999". Washington, D.C.: Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. 1 September 1999. p. 7. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05.
- ^ Saghabalian, Anna (16 May 2001). "Communists Demand Union With Russia, Belarus". RFE/RL.
- ^ Khachatrian, Ruzanna (5 September 2002). "Armenian Communists Suspend Campaign For Joining Russia-Belarus". RFE/RL.
- ^ Galoyan, Arman (4 May 2006). "Communists: against the U.S." 168.am. 168 hours. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ Khojoyan, Sara (30 November 2011). "Reviving Red?: Armenian Communists mark Sovietization anniversary amid USSR reintegration calls". ArmeniaNow.
- ^ "Armenia's decision to join Customs Union is revolutionary – Communist Party". news.am. 11 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Better Red Than Dead: Armenian, Russian Communists see EEU as their program". ArmeniaNow. 1 December 2014.
- ^ "Մենք "ո՛չ" ենք ասում ՆԱՏՕ-ին․ կոմունիստների ակցիան' ՌԴ դեսպանատան մոտ (տեսանյութ) [We say "no" to NATO ․ Communist action near the Russian Embassy (video)]" (in Armenian). A1plus. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Если бы выборы в Армении были честными? Альтернативный подсчет. 1990-е гг". kavkaz-uzel.eu (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018.
- ^ "Если бы выборы в Армении были честными? Альтернативный подсчет. 1990-е гг". kavkaz-uzel.eu (in Russian). 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019.
- ^ Avoyan, Shakeh (30 May 2003). "Armenian Communists Protest Election Fiasco". RFE/RL.
- ^ "Armenian communists boycott early elections". news.am. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Կոչ ենք անում քաղաքական ուժերին իրենց շահերի համար ժողովրդին չտանել քաղաքացիական առճակատման. Կոմկուս". news.am (in Armenian). 16 June 2021.
Սույն թվականի հունիսի 20ին տեղի կունենան ՀՀ ԱԺ արտահերթ ընտրություններ, որին Հայաստանի Կոմունիստական կուսակցությունը չի մասնակցի...