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Armenian Communist Party

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This article is about the party established in 1991. For the historical party in the Soviet era, see Communist Party of Armenia (Soviet Union).
Armenian Communist Party
Հայաստանի կոմունիստական կուսակցություն
AbbreviationHKK
LeaderTachat Sargsyan
Founded29 July 1991 (registered)
Preceded byCommunist Party of Armenia (Soviet Union)
HeadquartersYerevan
NewspaperHayastani Komunist
Youth wingCommunist Youth Union of Armenia
Membership18,000 (self-claimed, 2006)[2]
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism–Leninism
Russophilia[3]
Euroscepticism[4][5][6]
Soviet patriotism
Political positionLeft-wing to far-left
International affiliationIMCWP[7]
World Anti-Imperialist Platform[8]
Continental affiliationUCP–CPSU
ColorsRed
Seats in National Assembly
0 / 107
Party flag
Website
https://komunist.am/

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.

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

[edit]

The title of the party leader is First Secretary.

Ideology

[edit]
The party often uses the flag of the Armenian SSR as its symbol.[1]

In 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]

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

[edit]
The share of votes of the Armenian Communist Party in the 1999 parliamentary elections by provinces of Armenia.[18]

The 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
 Steady 2nd
2003 24.991 2.1%
0 / 131
 Decrease10 Decrease11th
2007 8,792 0.7%
0 / 131
 Steady Decrease14th
2012 15,899 1.45%
0 / 131
 Steady
2017 11,745 0.75%
0 / 105
 Steady
2018 Boycott[21]
0 / 132
 Steady
2021 Boycott[22]
0 / 107
 Steady

See also

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ 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)...
  5. ^ "Armenia communists hold rally outside Russia embassy (PHOTOS)". news.am. 25 December 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Armenia 2017: An introduction to the party-political landscape" (PDF). European Friends of Armenia. March 2017.
  7. ^ "Communist and Workers' Parties". Solidnet. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ Saghabalian, Anna (16 May 2001). "Communists Demand Union With Russia, Belarus". RFE/RL.
  12. ^ Khachatrian, Ruzanna (5 September 2002). "Armenian Communists Suspend Campaign For Joining Russia-Belarus". RFE/RL.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Khojoyan, Sara (30 November 2011). "Reviving Red?: Armenian Communists mark Sovietization anniversary amid USSR reintegration calls". ArmeniaNow.
  15. ^ "Armenia's decision to join Customs Union is revolutionary – Communist Party". news.am. 11 September 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Better Red Than Dead: Armenian, Russian Communists see EEU as their program". ArmeniaNow. 1 December 2014.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ Avoyan, Shakeh (30 May 2003). "Armenian Communists Protest Election Fiasco". RFE/RL.
  21. ^ "Armenian communists boycott early elections". news.am. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021.
  22. ^ "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...
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