The ANC Party (ANCP) has put forward the drafts of its program and its constitution. According to the ANCP constitution, the party’s purpose is to ensure the political, economic, and spiritual development of the Republic of Armenia based on liberal and democratic principles. According to it, every citizen of the Republic of Armenia who has a right to be a member of a party, is at least 18 years of age, has a right to vote in the Republic of Armenia, accepts the program and the constitution of the party, wishes to participate in the latter’s activities and is not a member of another party can become a member of the ANCP. The ANCP program begins with a historical overview. Here the history of the Armenian people is presented, from the years of submission to foreign rulers to reestablishment of statehood in 1918 to the Karabakh Movement to the 1998 coup d’état. There is also a mention of the national movement established by the ANC and resistance to the regime. As a summary of the foreword, it is noted: “Armenia has been living under conditions of illegitimate government and disruption of constitutional order for the past 15 years. This factor urges us to have certain priorities – issues to be solved immediately – in the Program, without which any program of changing social life based on socio-liberal or any other political ideology is pointless.” The main political principles enshrined in the program are “independent statehood, democracy, the rule of law, and social justice.” Among the foundations are “the Armenian language and national culture, the citizen, peace, freedom, and social justice.” In the section of the program called “Foreign Policy,” the ANCP declares that “Armenia has deviated from the mainstream of international processes under this regime, has been condemned to political and economic isolation, has been left out of regional development projects, and has found itself among underdeveloped countries of the Third World. The foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia should aim at ensuring stable peace and economic cooperation in the region and around the world.” In the section called “Social Policy,” the party takes up the concept called “additional pension” and states: “The stable and ensured state pension is formed of mandatory government payments. The additional pension should be added to that and be formed from citizens’ voluntary payments and employers’ mandatory payments.” The ANCP proposes to ensure a system that will contribute to “guaranteeing reproductive health of every citizen of the Republic of Armenia,” it proposes to increase the one-time benefits paid to mothers for children’s birth, linking it with the average wage. With regard to financing the field of education the party deems appropriate to take up “the Personal Card System of State Education Certification for Financing Students, in order that not schools, but students are financed.” The activities of the new, differential, system of cultural institutions are also one of the foundations of the party’s program. According to the party, switching to a decentralized system will ensure plurality of ownership, management, and financing types of educational institutions and creative initiatives.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
