Independence: 28 May 1918 (First Armenian Republic); 23 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Referendum Day, 21 September
Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state : President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN (since NA October 1991); note - prior to becoming Armenia's first president, TER-PETROSSIAN was chairman of the Armenian Supreme Soviet since 4 August 1990 head of government: Prime Minister Robert KOCHARIAN (since 20 March 1997) cabinet : Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held NA September 2001); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN elected president; percent of vote - Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSSIAN 52%, Vazgen MANUKYAN 41%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Azgayin Zhoghov (190 seats; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 5 July 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Bloc 159 (ANM 63, DLP-Hanrapetutyun Bloc 6, Republic Party 4, CDU 3, Intellectual Armenia 3, Social Democratic Party 2, independents 78), SWM 8, ACP 7, NDU 5, NSDU 3, DLP 1, ARF 1, other 4, vacant 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Republic Bloc (Hanrapetoutioun): Armenian National Movement or ANM
[Husik LAZARIAN, chairman]; Democratic Liberal Party [Orthosis
GYONJIAN, chairman]; Republican Party [Ashot NAVARSARDIAN, chairman];
Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Azat ARSHAKIAN, chairman];
Intellectual Armenia [H. TOKMAJIAN]; Social Democratic (Hnchakian)
Party [Yeghia NAJARIAN]
opposition parties: Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM [Shoger
MATEVOSIAN]; Armenian Communist Party or ACP [Sergey BADALYAN];
National Democratic Union or NDU [Davit VARDANIAN and Vasgen
MANUKIAN]; Union of National Self-Determination or NSDU [Paruir
HAIRIKIAN, chairman]; Democratic Liberal Party or DLP [Rouben
MIRZAKHANIAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation or ARF
[Rouben HAKOBIAN, chairman]
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CIS,
EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, NAM
(observer), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)