The Armenian Communist Party ( hy, Հայաստանի կոմունիստական կուսակցություն, ՀԿԿ; ''Hayastani Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun'', HKK) is a

communist party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

. It considers itself the successor to the Armenian branch of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union " Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspape ...

. It is the main communist party in Armenia and claimed 18,000 (mostly elderly) members in 2006. 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 The Democratic Party of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Դեմոկրատական Կուսակցություն, ''Hayastani Demokratakan Kusaktsutyun'') is a democratic socialist political party in Armenia. It was established in 1991 by Aram Ga ...

, a party founded by the last secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia, Aram G. Sargsyan.

Leaders

The title of the party leader is First Secretary. *1991–1999: Sergey Badalyan *2000–2005: Vladimir Darbinyan *2005–2013: Ruben Tovmasyan *2013–: Tachat Sargsyan

Ideology

The party was described as "staunchly pro-

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

n" by the US-funded

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

in 2002. In a 1994 rally, the party called for "a new union with Russia", calling it Armenia's "only salvation." In 2011, party members marched through downtown

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

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 Russian_troops_stationed_in_Armenia.html" ;"title="Russian 102nd Military Base">Russian troops stationed in Armenia">Russian 102nd Military Base">Russian troops stationed in ArmeniaArmenia 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." At a 2006 rally the slogan was "Down with America, Always with Russia." In 2001, the party and several thousand supporters advocated Armenia's membership into the

Union State The Union State,; be, Саю́зная дзяржа́ва Расі́і і Белару́сі, Sajuznaja dziaržava Rasii i Bielarusi, links=no. or Union State of Russia and Belarus,; be, Саю́зная дзяржа́ва, Sajuznaja dziar� ...

of Russia and Belarus. They continued the campaign for Armenia's membership into the union with Russia and Belarus in 2002. The party supported the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and in 2013 welcomed Armenia's accession into the EEU as a "prelude to the restoration of the Soviet Union." The party opposes any further

European integration European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integration has primarily come about through the European Union and its ...

of Armenia. The party's programme in 1999 included: *Armenia's transformation into a

parliamentary republic A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the executive branch (the government) derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (the parliament). There are a number ...

*Rejection of Western-style market reforms *Socialism which embraces a

mixed economy A mixed economy is variously defined as an economic system blending elements of a market economy with elements of a planned economy, markets with state interventionism, or private enterprise with public enterprise. Common to all mixed economie ...

, including

private property Private property is a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental legal entities. Private property is distinguishable from public property and personal property, which is owned by a state entity, and from collective or ...

*Close ties with Russia *

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...

's recognition as a subject of international law *Armenia's accession to the

(the party did not explicitly call for the recreation of the USSR) The party supported the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...

. It staged a demonstration in support of Russia's "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine on March 4.

Support base and election results

The party remained a significant political force in the 1990s under its charismatic leader Sergey Badalyan, who died in 1999. The party's 1994

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

rally attracted some 10,000 to 60,000 supporters. 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. In a 2004 For Official Use Only telegram on Armenian political parties, US Ambassador in Armenia

John Ordway Sergeant John Ordway (c. 1775 – c. 1817), the youngest of ten siblings, was an important part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition across the United States. John Ordway was one of the sergeants from the United States Army who stepped forward to ...

wrote that the party has "fewer than 50,000 members country-wide (most of them quite elderly)" and that it "is no longer especially influential." The 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." The party boycotted the

2018 Armenian parliamentary election Snap parliamentary elections were held in Armenia on 9 December 2018, as none of the parties in the National Assembly were able to put forward and then elect a candidate for Prime Minister in the two-week period following the resignation of incum ...

for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

References

{{Armenian political parties 1991 establishments in Armenia Communist parties in Armenia Communist parties in the Soviet Union Political parties established in 1991 Political parties in Armenia International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties

Leaders

Ideology

Support base and election results

See also

References