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Government
The
official title of the country is the Republic of
Armenia (RA) (Hayastani Hanrapetutiun), which is
sovereign and democratic. The power in Armenia
belongs to the people. The people administer the
power through free elections, referendums and
through state bodies, bodies of local administration
and public officials provided by the
Constitution. The highest executive authority is the
president, who appoints a prime minister, who in
turn appoints ministers to comprise the government
.The president is elected by popular vote for a
five-year term. Any person 35 years old that has
been a citizen of the RA for the preceding ten years
and has a voting right, may be elected president.
The same person may not be elected to the office of
the president for more than two consecutive terms.
The legislative branch of the Armenian democracy is
the National Assembly (Azgayin Zhoghov). The
National Assembly of Armenia has 135 elected
Parliamentarians who are elected every five years.
Only the parties that have received at least 5% of
the total votes in the election, may have factions
in the Parliament. Its members represent several
political parties. Parliamentarians submit laws for
adoption by the National Assembly, while the
President maintains veto power. If the National
Assembly rejects the program delivered by the prime
minister and Council of Ministers, then they are
obliged to resign. The constitution of the Republic
of Armenia was adopted through a national referendum
on July 5, 1995. All citizens age 18 and older have
the right to vote. The constitutional court of the
RA comprises 9 members, 5 of which are appointed by
the National Assembly and another 4 by president.
Members of the constitutional court are appointed
for a term that expires upon their reaching at the
age of 70. Their power cease only in the cases and
by the procedure defined by the constitution and the
laws of the RA.Armenia has established diplomatic
relations with 125 countries. In the first years of
independence, Armenia became a member of the United
Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World
Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, and the Organization on Security and
Cooperation in Europe. Armenia is a member of the
Commonwealth of Independent States, and at the same
time enjoys good relations with the United States
and the European Union. In October 1994 the country
joined the Partnership for Peace program, which
provides for limited military cooperation with the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Armenia
continues to strive toward development and reform
and most recently was admitted to the Council of
Europe.
Armenian Flag: The tricolor flag of Armenia
is comprised of three horizontal and equally-sized
stripes of red, blue and orange. The red color of
the flag symbolizes the blood that the Armenian
people have shed in the struggle for independence.
Blue symbolizes the clear sky of Armenia, while the
orange color symbolizes
the
creative drive of the nation.
Coat of Arms
The law of the coat of arms of the RA
was adopted on April 12,1992 by the Supreme Council
of the RA. The central shield of the coat of arms
bears the charges of four royal Armenian dynasties:
the Artaxids, the Arshakids, the Bagratunis and the
Rubinians. These surround the depiction of mountain
Araat with the outline of Noah's ark resting on the
peak. The silver waves of lake Van are at the foot
of the mountain. The shield is supported by a lion
and an eagle that symbolize the spirit, power. A
sword at the bottom represents the struggle of the
Armenians for freedom and independence, while the
quill and cereal spikes symbolize the creative
talent and peaceful character of the Armenians. |
