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Panel Discussion - The Armenian Parliamentary Elections in April 2017: how can the diaspora engage in Armenia's democratic evolution? December 3, 2016, Harvard University

Publish Date: Nov 22, 2016

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research / Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lecture Series on Contemporary Armenian Issues
Harvard Armenian Students Association
MIT Armenian Society (MITAS)
 
Present a Panel Discussion

The Armenian Parliamentary Elections in April 2017:

how can the diaspora engage in

Armenia's democratic evolution?

 
Moderated by Dr. Anna Ohanyan
Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Stonehill College
With Distinguished Panelists
Prof. Miguel E. Basáñez (Tufts Univ. Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy), John M. Evans (Former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia)
and via Skype from Armenia

Sona Ayvazyan
(Transparency International Armenia),Isabella Sargsyan (Eurasia Partnership Foundation), andTevan Poghosyan (Member of Parliament)
Saturday, December 3, 2016, at 2:00 p.m.
Harvard University, Sever Hall, Room 113
     The 25-year-old Republic of Armenia is facing political unrest due to issues of corruption, lack of economic growth, growing dissatisfaction with the current government, and concerns regarding the borders of Nagorno-Karabagh. A recent takeover of a police station by the armed opposition group Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sasun) led to a hostage crisis, where security forces used excessive force against civilian protesters and journalists alike, and two policemen were killed.
In April 2017, Armenia will hold its first parliamentary elections since the Constitutional reform referendum of Dec. 2015 and transition from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary one, strengthening the legislature at the expense of the presidency. The April 2017 elections will form a parliament with more power in the country's political life and offer a chance for the people in Armenia to express their political will through their votes rather than through violence.
     The panelists will discuss the role of the upcoming parliamentary elections for Armenia's democratic promise and for the future of its statehood. They will also provide an understanding of the nuts and bolts of the election process, and will place a special emphasis on the value, place, and prospects of the diaspora's support for the democratic processes of the elections.
Free and open to the public. Reception immediately following the program.
Contact lafeyan@college.harvard.edu or hq@naasr.org for more information.

Similar Opportunities


Disciplines

Armenian Studies

Policy

Political Sciences

Host Countries

United States

Event Types

Discussion