Armenia

I

Communications

The telecommunications system is outdated and unreliable; there were 193 telephones per 1,000 people in 2004. International calls are connected using better quality switching equipment and satellite access. Newspaper circulation and the number of titles produced have been affected both by the adverse economic climate and through closures by a government sensitive to criticism. Many newspapers are published by political parties or groupings. Ownership of televisions was estimated at 860,000 in 2000. Television broadcasting is subject to a state monopoly, although there is one radio station in the private sector. The state broadcaster is National TV and Radio of Armenia. Russian television programming can also be received in the country.

V

Government

The Republic’s independence was declared in September 1991, and a new Constitution that replaced the amended Soviet Constitution of 1978 was approved by a national referendum in July 1995. A wide range of rights, freedoms, and duties concerning the citizen are included in the Constitution.

A

Executive and Legislature

Executive power is vested in the president, who is head of state and supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president is directly elected for a term of four years and may only serve two consecutive terms in office. Legislative power is vested in a unicameral National Assembly; the 131-seat assembly (Azgayin Joghov) is elected for terms of four years by universal suffrage, all citizens who have attained the age of 18 years being eligible to vote.

B

Political Parties

The main political parties represented in the Azgayin Joghov are the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK; Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun); Prosperous Armenia (Bargavadj Hayastani Kusaktsutyun); the centrist Rule of Law Country (OE; Orinants Erkir); Justice (A; Ardarutyun); the social-democratic Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnak; Hai Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun); and Heritage (Zharangutiun).

C

Judiciary

Justice is administered in the republic by tribunal courts in the first instance, review courts, and the Court of Appeal. In addition to these, economic and military courts and a Constitutional Court are part of the justice system. Of the Constitutional Court’s nine members, five are appointed by the National Assembly and four by the President. Independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by the president, who as head of the Council of Justice appoints its 14 members. In January 1999, the Court of Appeal replaced the Supreme Court in criminal-military and civil-economic matters. The different structures were part of a series of reforms to the legal system.