YEREVAN. – Armenia should switch from presidential to parliamentary system, Armenian MP Armen Rustamyan announced at a press conference on Monday presenting the pre-election program of ARF Dashnaktsutyun.

The presidential system led to the formation of a group of favorites around the presidential chair which usurps the governmental resources, he added.

It is necessary to establish the parliamentary form of government in Armenia.

“We had three presidents and the situation is not changing. We must have a government that will not be affected by the change of the powers,” Rustamyan said.

According to him, first of all the concentration of powers in the hands of the ruling party must be eliminated.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun is one of the oldest Armenian political parties. It was founded in the end of 19th century.

Following the Sovietization of Armenia in 1920, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun was banned by the Communists and its leadership exiled. The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun officially re-emerged in Armenia after the collapse of the USSR, in 1990.

In June 2003, the party signed a coalition memorandum with the Republican Party of Armenia and Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law). However, in 2009 ARFD left the coalition in protest against signing the protocols with Turkey. 

Party’s proportional list includes 85 candidates. Eight candidates will run for an MP seat with majority system. The party’s motto is ‘Freedom, Justice, Dashnaktsutyun.’