Homeland Party (Armenia)

The Homeland Party (Armenian: Հայրենիք կուսակցություն, romanized: Hayrenik’ kusakts’ut’yun) is a centre-right political party in Armenia. It was founded on 30 May 2020 by Artur Vanetsyan.[5]

Not to be confused with United Homeland Party or Homeland of Armenians Party.
Homeland Party
Հայրենիք կուսակցություն
ChairmanArtur Vanetsyan[1]
Founded30 May 2020[2]
HeadquartersYerevan
Political positionCentre-right[3]
National affiliationHomeland Salvation Movement (2020-2021)
I Have Honor Alliance (2021-2022)
National Assembly[4]
0 / 107
Website
Facebook page

History

The party had been registered in Armenia since 1991, and was previously led by Jasmen Asryan. However, the party went into a long period of inactivity.[6]

The founding congress of the newly relaunched Homeland Party was held on 20 May 2020, in Yerevan. Artur Vanetsyan was elected unanimously by party members as chairman and the party subsequently completed its registration with the Ministry of Justice.[7]

Party leader Artur Vanetsyan, was the former Director of the National Security Services of Armenia.[8][9] Vanetsyan was dismissed from his position by Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. Since then, Vanetsyan has been a vocal critic of Pashinyan's government and has called on the Prime Minister to step down from power.[8][10] Vanetsyan stated that the current government has exhausted the confidence of the overwhelming majority of people.[11][12] Vanetsyan has also declared support to the Prosperous Armenia party, stating that they are the only true opposition force of the current government.[13]

On 15 November 2020, Vanetsyan was arrested by Yerevan police due to a planned assault on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.[14]

In May 2021, the Republican Party of Armenia and the Homeland Party announced that they would form their own political alliance, known as the I Have Honor Alliance, to run in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary elections.[15][16][17] Following the election, the alliance received 5.22% of the popular vote, gaining 6 seats in the National Assembly. The Homeland Party was represented in parliament with one of those seats, held by Vanetsyan.

On 21 June 2022, Vanetsyan announced that he was giving up his seat in parliament and withdrawing the Homeland Party from the I Have Honor Alliance. The Homeland Party currently acts as an extra-parliamentary force.[18]

Ideology

The party has declared itself an alternative force and believes in developing and improving the security, stability and progress of Armenia; with rule of law and democracy as the benchmarks, while also fighting against xenophobia.[19][11][20] The party has also supported the idea of collaborating with other political parties in Armenia with similar views and ideologies.

Armed wing

During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the armed wing of the party, the "Homeland" detachment, led by Vanetsyan, and consisting of about 80 men, took part in the Battle of Shusha. In January 2021, former director of the Armenian NSS, Argishti Kyaramyan, claimed that the members of the detachment, had left their positions during the battle, though Vanetsyan, and other members of the detachment later denied this claim.[21][22][23][24][25]

Electoral record

Parliamentary elections
Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
2021[lower-alpha 1] Artur Vanetsyan 66,650 5,22
1 / 107
 Increase 1 Increase 3rd Opposition
  1. Run within I Have Honor Alliance

See also

References
  1. "Արթուր Վանեցյանն ընտրվել է "Հայրենիք" կուսակցության նախագահ". Politik.am.
  2. ""Հայրենիք" կուսակցության արտահերթ համագումարում կուսակցության նախագահ է ընտրվել Արթուր Վանեցյանը". www.aravot.am.
  3. Technologies, Peyotto. "Արթուր Վանեցյանը "Հայրենիք" կուսակցության նախագահ է ընտրվել". factor.am.
  4. "National Assembly of Armenia | Official Web Site | parliament.am". parliament.am.
  5. "Armenia's Homeland Party issues statement". news.am. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  6. "Party failures on the political stage". evnreport.com.
  7. ""Հայրենիք" կուսակցության արտահերթ համագումարում միաձայն կուսակցության նախագահ է ընտրվել Արթուր Վանեցյանը". infocom.am.
  8. Azadian, Edmond Y. (June 11, 2020). "Armenia's Political Fragmentation amid Pandemic".
  9. Jasyson. "Ex-Armenian security chief urges MPs to reject draft constitutional amendments – Panorama". Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  10. One, Studio. "Դատապարտում ենք Գագիկ Ծառուկյանի նկատմամբ սաստկացող քաղաքական հետապնդումը. Վանեցյանի գլխավորած կուսակցությունը՝ Ծառուկյանի տան խուզարկության մասին". www.yerkir.am.
  11. "Մենք ունենք անցնցում իշխանափոխության ճանապարհային քարտեզ․ Արթուր Վանեցյան". antifake.am.
  12. Studio, Sargssyan. "Times.am | "Հայրենիք" կուսակցությունը կարողանալու է փոխել այս իշխանությանը՝ երկիրը տանելով զարգացման ճիշտ ուղիով. Արթուր Վանեցյան". times.am.
  13. Technologies, Peyotto. ""Լուսավոր Հայաստան" կուսակցությունն ապացուցեց, որ պետության սահմանադրական կարգը տապալած անձի կցորդ է». Արթուր Վանեցյան. "Փաստինֆո"".
  14. "Armenian opposition leader arrested". Report News Agency.
  15. "Will Serzh Sargsyan sacrifice his loyal soldiers?". hayeli.am.
  16. "Republican Party of Armenia to run in snap elections in alliance with Hayrenik". armradio.am.
  17. "RPA և Homeland Party signs memorandum on formation of 'I have honor' bloc". factor.am.
  18. "MP Artur Vanetsyan Resigns; Announces End of "With Honor" Parliamentary Faction". hetq.am.
  19. "Armenia's Homeland Party leader: We have roadmap for nonturbulent power shift". news.am.
  20. ""Հայրենիք" կուսակցությունն այն այլընտրանքային ուժն է, որը կարողանալու է փոխել այս իշխանությունը». Արթուր Վանեցյան. Aysor.am | Republica.am". republica.am.
  21. "Артур Ванецян опроверг заявления Аргишти Кярамяна" [Artur Vanetsyan denied Argishti Kyaramyan's statements]. ArmenianReport (in Russian). 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  22. "Представители отряда "Родина" уверяют, что покинули Шуши в самом конце" [Representatives of the Rodina detachment assure that they left Shushi at the very end]. ArmenianReport (in Russian). 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  23. "Представитель отряда "Родина": "Аргишти Кярамян координировал процесс сдачи Азербайджану Шуши"" [Representative of the Rodina detachment: "Argishti Karamian coordinated the process of surrendering Shushi to Azerbaijan"]. ArmenianReport (in Russian). 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  24. Hovhannisyan, Samvel (16 January 2021). "Дуэль Ванецяна и Кярамяна - стреляют друг в друга, попадают в Армению" [Duel of Vanetsyan and Kyaramyan - shoot each other, end up in Armenia]. ArmenianReport (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  25. "Аргишти Кярамян рассказал о поведении Ванецяна и его соратников перед штурмом Шуши" [Argishti Kyaramyan spoke about the behavior of Vanetsyan and his associates before the assault on Shushi]. ArmenianReport (in Russian). 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
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