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Heritage (Armenia)

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Not to be confused with Heritage Party (UK) or Heritage Party (Malaysia).
Heritage
Ժառանգություն
LeaderRaffi Hovannisian
Founded2002[1]
HeadquartersYerevan
Membership6,450 (2012)[2]
IdeologyNational liberalism (self-proclaimed)[3]
Liberalism[4][5]
Armenian nationalism[6]
Pro-Europeanism[3]
Pro-Western[7]
Political positionCentre[5] to centre-right
European affiliationEuropean People's Party (EPP) (observer)[8]
European Democratic Party (before 2012)[9]
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International (Observer)[10]
National Assembly
0 / 107
Website
heritage.am

Heritage (Armenian: Ժառանգություն, romanized: Zhaṙangut’yun) is an Armenian national liberal political party. It was founded in 2002 by Raffi Hovannisian, independent Armenia's first Foreign Minister.

Ideology

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Economy
  • The party has stated its support for Economic liberalism.[9]
  • Other domestic policy goals include legal reforms, the development of civil society and the economic development of Armenia. Heritage has stated that sustaining the competitiveness of the market will help strengthen the Armenian economy.[11]
  • The party also believes that reducing poverty and building good social services should be prioritized. By taking these measures, Heritage has the objective to reduce emigration from Armenia and stop the "brain drain" from the country.[11]
  • The party supports the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Armenia and the EU.[12]
Foreign Affairs
  • The party's foreign policy can be characterized as balanced, but also as pro-Western. The Heritage party underlines maintaining and developing good relations with the United States, Russia, Georgia, China and India, but sees European integration and cooperation as the key to progress. European integration is not a goal on its own, but rather a tool for improved well-being, prosperity and security. With Turkey, Heritage advocates an open and honest dialogue.[11]
  • The party not only advocates for the integration of Armenia with Europe but also the eventual accession of Armenia into the European Union.[3] Heritage firmly believes that for centuries Armenia has been one of the constituents of European civilization, regardless of the geographical boundaries drawn for Europe.[13] The party believes that Armenia must adhere to Pan-European values and that Armenia can contribute to the enrichment of Europe's cultural heritage.
  • Some party members have advocated their support for the withdrawal of Armenia from the Collective Security Treaty Organization.[14]
  • The party supports recognition of the Republic of Artsakh as an independent state (the party has several times unsuccessfully proposed bills in parliament that would formally recognize Artsakh by the Republic of Armenia).[15]
  • Continued cooperation with both NATO and CIS member states.[13]

Electoral record

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The party emerged as the fifth largest party in the National Assembly of Armenia after its debut in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections. It won 6% of the popular vote and obtained 7 seats.

Prior to the 2012 parliamentary election, some Free Democrats party members decided to run under the Heritage list. Following the election, Heritage won 5 seats with 86,998 votes, becoming the smallest faction within the National Assembly, with Zaruhi Postanjyan as its leader.[16]

Heritage participated in the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election as part of the ORO Alliance, however the alliance gained just 2.07% of the popular vote, winning no seats.

The party decided not to participate in the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election or the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election. The party currently acts as an extra-parliamentary force.

National Assembly

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Year Party-list Constituency seats Total seats +/–
Votes % Seats/total
2007 81,048 6.0%
7 / 90
0 / 41
7 / 131
 Increase 7
2012 86,998 5.8%
5 / 90
0 / 41
5 / 131
 Decrease 2
2017 32,508 2.07%
0 / 90
0 / 41
0 / 131
 Decrease 5

Presidential elections

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Year Candidate Votes % Rank
2008 endorsed Levon Ter-Petrosyan
2013 Raffi Hovannisian 539,672 36.8% 2

Local elections

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The party participated in the 2013 Yerevan City Council elections as part of the Barev Yerevan alliance. Barev Yerevan consisted mostly of Heritage party members, in addition to a few members from the Democratic Way Party, the Democratic Homeland Party, and the Conservative Party.[17] The alliance came in third place, winning 8.48% of the vote and gaining 6 seats in the Yerevan City Council.

The party participated in the 2018 Yerevan City Council elections, receiving just 0.75% of the popular vote, failing to win any seats in the Yerevan City Council.

Activities

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On 25 March 2021, Raffi Hovannisian met with the President of Armenia Armen Sarksyan to discuss the political situation in the country.[18]

On 1 April 2021, Heritage signed a joint declaration with four other political parties calling on the Government of Armenia to ensure free and fair upcoming elections, following the on-going political unrest in Armenia.[19]

On 15 April 2021, the party signed a joint statement with eight other political parties calling on the President of Armenia to ensure democracy and the Constitution of Armenia is upheld in the country during the 2020–2021 Armenian protests.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Leader of "Heritage" party to run for Armenian president". ARKA News Agency. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  2. ^ Asatryan, Anahit (7 May 2012). Իսկ ինչ անեն Հանրապետականին չքվեարկածները. report.am (in Armenian). "Ժառանգություն" կուսակցությունը ստացել է 87,100 ձայն (5.77%), անդամների թիվն է` 6 հազար 450։
  3. ^ a b c "About Us". Heritage Party Website. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014.
  4. ^ Abrahamyan, Aram (17 March 2012). "The Ideology of Mature People". Aravot. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2014. The Free Democrats and the Heritage Party explicitly state about their adherence to liberalism...
  5. ^ a b "Evaluation Report on Armenia on Transparency of party funding" (PDF). Strasbourg: Council of Europe. 3 December 2010. p. 5. Heritage Party (centre, liberal)
  6. ^ Osyan, Astghik (31 March 2011). "Ազգայնականության գաղափարախոսության արտահայտումները հայաստանյան քաղաքական կուսակցությունների ծրագրերում [Manifestations of nationalist ideology in the programs of Armenian parties]" (in Armenian). Armenian Sociological Club. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Հանդիսանալով ազգային և ազատական (լիբերալ) արժեքների կրող` Ժառանգությունն առավել ընդգծում է ազատական գաղափարների կարևորությունը և հենց այդ համատեքստում է դիտարկում նաև ազգայնականության գործոնները: Այսինքն` ազգայնականության կոնստրուկտը, համաձայն Ժառանգության քաղաքական ծրագրի, պետք է կառուցվի ազատականության հիման վրա:
  7. ^ de Waal, Thomas (2011). "The Karabakh trap: Dangers and dilemmas of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict" (PDF). London: Conciliation Resources. p. 7. ...pro-Western Heritage Party...
  8. ^ "Heritage Party on EPP observer status and political corruption in Armenia". news.am. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  9. ^ a b c "RA Political Parties: Representation in Europe". Yerevan: European Integration NGO. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2014. Armenian Heritage Party is an advocate of liberal economic and democratic governance system. Despite the party's declared liberal-democrat ideology it is not a member of ELDR. However, Heritage party that is now in Armenian opposition is also represented in Europe: since recently the Heritage joined the European Democratic Party as an observer.
  10. ^ "The Heritage Party Has Become an Observer Member of Centrist Democrat International". Archived from the original on 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  11. ^ a b c "Armenia country update". European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity. 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  12. ^ "Ազգային շահին հետամուտ արտաքին քաղաքականություն - Page 15".
  13. ^ a b "8. ԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ԱՆՎՏԱՆԳՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ, ԲԱՆԱԿ ԵՎ ԱՐՏԱՔԻՆ ՔԱՂԱՔԱԿԱՆՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ - Էջ 9".
  14. ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Karabakh Challenges Armenian-Russian Alliance". Refworld.
  15. ^ "Karabakh recognition bill put into circulation at Armenian parliament". PanARMENIAN.Net. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  16. ^ "National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia | Official Web Site | parliament.am". www.parliament.am.
  17. ^ ""Բարև Երևան" դաշինքի ընտրացուցակ". www.heritage.am.
  18. ^ "Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյանն ու Արմեն Սարգսյանը հանդիպել են (տեսանյութ)".
  19. ^ "Հինգ կուսակցությունների համատեղ հայտարարությունը". araratnews.am.
  20. ^ "ՀՀ Նախագահ ԱՐՄԵՆ ՍԱՐԳՍԵԱՆԻՆ". April 15, 2021.
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