Armine Ishkanian
After a quarter of a century of ‘transitioning’ to democracy, Armenia remains at best a partly free
‘managed’ democracy and at worst a semi-consolidated authoritarian
regime. The country has high levels of poverty and inequality (over 30%
of Armenians live under the poverty line, with 47% of those aged 15 and above
being unemployed) and the discontent with the status quo has led to
continual emigration since the early 1990s and mass protests over recent
years.
In the immediate aftermath of the election on 2 April, in which the ruling Republican (Hanrapetakan) Party of Armenia, received nearly 50% of the vote, questions have been raised as to why, despite growing discontent
with the political and socio-economic status quo, including the
unresolved conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, so many Armenian citizens
appear to have given their support to the ruling party?
