New parties emerge in Armenia in hope to end country’s miserable situation

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

In the hope of breaking Armenia's vicious political circle, citizens have pinned their hopes on the creation of new political parties, desperate to manifest change.

Armenia's political landscape is changing - old parties are disappearing and new associations are appearing. Experts have said they expect things to be very different indeed in a few years.

Plagued by corruption and people's mistrust, Armenia's old political guard is slowly losing its grip on the country, pushed aside by new aspirations and hopes for change. For several decades already Armenia has been dragged from scandals to scandals, drowned in tales of corruption and embezzlement.

Promising to improve on Armenia's miserable economic situation, new political parties have emerged in the country.

These changes in Armenia take place at such a time when the country has entered the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, amid upcoming constitutional reforms and an expected transition to a parliamentary form of government - which would mark the end to absolute presidential power.

It is especially the possibility of constitutional reforms which has recently triggered the emergence of new political parties. The month May alone saw the establishment of the centrist party "Alliance" and the "Civil agreement" party. Also, another new party built on civic values is expected to be established soon.

MP Nikol Pashinyan, a member of the initiative group of the "Civil agreement" party noted the programs of the party relate to the next 20 years of Armenia’s development, Lragir reported.

Pashinyan promises that the new party will not lead the people toward more disappointment. He noted that Armenia's power shift will not take place until there is not an institutional opposition.

He offered to turn the next 20 years into the years of repatriation for all emigrated Armenian citizens.

Over the past 20 years tens of thousands of Armenians have fled their homeland.

Pashinyan, however, admitted that this strategic program requires unprecedented consolidation.

However, the main thing is not the emergence of new parties, but the work and measures that they could carry out toward improving Armenia' situation - economic difficulties, unemployment and so on...

So far, political parties have been unable to manifest concrete change on the ground, leaving many to despair.

Therefore, taking into account the present situation in the country, the expectation on new parties also is not high.