Pre-Crisis Phase (September 23, 1991-January 27, 1998): Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union on September 23, 1991. Levon Ter-Petrossian, the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Armenia, was elected president on October 16, 1991. President Ter-Petrossian dismissed Prime Minister Khosrov Haroutunian on February 2, 1993, and Hrand Bagratian was appointed as prime minister on February 3, 1993. The government suspended the opposition party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) in December 1994, which prevented the ARF from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) established a joint mission of 90 personnel to provide electoral assistance to the Armenian government from February to August 1995. Armenians approved a new constitution in a referendum on July 5, 1995. Parliamentary elections were held on July 5 and July 29, 1995, and the Republic Bloc (RB) coalition won 119 out of 190 seats in the National Assembly. The Shamiram Women’s Party (SWP) won eight seats in the National Assembly. The UN/OSCE mission reported that the election process was “free, but not fair.” The Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The British Helsinki Human Rights Group (BHHRG) sent four observers to monitor the parliamentary elections and referendum. President Ter-Petrossian was re-elected with some 51.8 percent of the vote on September 22, 1996. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) established an election observation mission consisting of eight long-term observers and 89 short-term observers from 13 countries headed by Simon Osborn of Britain to monitor the presidential election beginning on September 20, 1996. The OSCE mission issued a report on October 2, 1996, which suggested that “very serious breaches” of Armenia electoral law had occurred. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) sent observers to monitor the presidential election. Opposition parties claimed election fraud, and demonstrators protested against the government for several days in Yerevan. President Ter-Petrossian appointed Armen Sarkisian as prime minister on November 4, 1996, but Prime Minister Sarkisian resigned on March 6, 1997. President Ter-Petrossian appointed Robert Kocharian as prime minister on March 20, 1997.
Crisis Phase (January 28, 1998-November 3, 1999): On January 28m 1998, Defense Minister Vazgen Sarkisian demanded a change in President Ter-Petrossian’s Nagorno-Karabakh policy or a “new leader would be found.” President Ter-Petrossian resigned under pressure from military leaders on February 3, 1998, and Robert Kocharian was appointed interim president on February 4, 1998. Robert Kocharian was elected president with some 59 percent of the vote in the runoff election against Karen Demichian on March 30, 1998. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent nine observers from nine countries headed by Lord Russell-Johnston of Britain to monitor the presidential elections beginning on March 13, 1998. On April 20, 1998, the COE mission reported that the election was legitimate despite some voting irregularities. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of 180 observers headed by Sam Brown of the US to monitor the presidential elections beginning on February 14, 1998. The OSCE mission reported that there were numerous voting irregularities on April 14, 1998. The BHHRG sent four observers to monitor the presidential elections beginning on March 15, 1998. The BHHRG mission issued its report on April 2, 1998. Parliamentary elections were held on May 30, 1999, and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)/People’s Party of Armenia (PPA) alliance won 55 out of 131 contested seats in the National Assembly. The Communist Party of Armenia (CPA) won 11 seats in the National Assembly. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of twelve long-term observers and 168 short-term observers from 25 countries headed by Tone Tingsgaard of Sweden and Nikolai Vulchanov of Bulgaria to monitor the parliamentary elections beginning on April 19, 1999. The CIS sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The COE Parliamentary Asssembly sent nine observers from eight countries headed by Hanneke Gelderblom-Lankhout of the Netherlands to monitor the parliamentary elections from May 28-31, 1999. The National Democratic Institute (NDI) sent 18 observers from eight countries to monitor the parliamentary elections from May 26 to June 1, 1999. The BHHRG sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The BHHRG issued its report on June 16, 1999. Prime Minister Armen Darpinian announced his resignation on June 5, 1999. President Kocharian appointed Vazgen Sarksyan as prime minister on June 11, 1999. The OSCE/ODIHR issued its final report of the parliamentary elections on July 30, 1999. Local elections were held on October 24, 1999. The COE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRA) sent ten observers from eight countries headed by Claude Casagrande of France and Gabor Kolumban of Romania to monitor the local elections beginning on October 22, 1999. The COE CLRA mission reported on October 26, 1999 that the elections were free and fair. Militants killed Prime Minister Sarksyan and seven other individuals in the parliament building on October 27, 1999. President Bill Clinton of the US condemned the attacked on the Armenian parliament and the assassination of the Armenian prime minister on October 27, 1999. Iran condemned the attack on October 27, 1999. Helle Degn, president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, condemned the attack on October 28, 1999. Australia condemned the assassination of the Armenian prime minister on October 28, 1999. President Kocharian appointed Aram Sarkisian as prime minister on November 3, 1999.
Post-Crisis Phase (November 4, 1999-February 29, 2008): President Kocharian appointed Andranik Margarian of the RPA as prime minister on May 12, 2000. Local elections were held on October 20, 2002, and the RPA won 30 out of 37 mayoral elections. The COE CLRA sent observers to monitor the local elections. Presidential elections were held on February 19 and March 5, 2003, and President Kocharian was re-elected with 67.5 percent of the vote in the second round of the elections. The OSCE/ODIHR sent some 220 observers to monitor the presidential elections from January 15 to March 6, 2003. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent eight observers to monitor the presidential elections. Parliamentary elections were held on May 25, 2003, and the RPA won 31 out of 131 seats in the National Assembly. The Rule of Law (Orinants Erkir-OE) won 19 seats in the National Assembly. The OSCE/ODIHR sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The NDI sent 30 observers to monitor the parliamentary elections on May 21-27, 2003. Several constitutional amendments were approved in a referendum on November 27, 2005. The COE Parliamentary Assembly and the CLRA sent fourteen observers headed by Tomas Jirsa of the Czecg Republic and Sean O’Brien of Ireland to monitor the referendum on November 25-28, 2005.
Crisis Phase (March 1, 2008-May 27, 2011): The government declared a state of emergency on March 1, 2008. Ten individuals, including two government policemen, were killed in violence on March 1-2, 2008.
Post-Crisis Phase (May 28, 2011-present):
[Sources: Associated Press (AP), May 30, 1999, October 27, 1999, November 3, 1999; Banks and Muller, 1998, 47-51; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), March 18, 1998; Council of Europe (COE) press release, March 6, 1998, April 1, 1998, May 31, 1999, October 26, 1999, October 21, 2002, March 6, 2003, May 26, 2003, November 24, 2005, November 28, 2005; Keesing’s Record of World Events, February 1993, July 1995, March 1997, June 1999, October 1999, November 1999; National Democratic Institute (NDI) statement, May 27, 2003; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) newsletter, September 1996, March 1998, April 1998; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) press release, October 28, 1999, January 20, 2003, February 20, 2003, March 6, 2003; OSCE/ODIHR report, April 14, 1998, July 30, 1999; OSCE/ODIHR statement, September 24, 1996, March 18, 1998, April 1, 1998, May 31, 1999, February 20, 2003, March 6, 2003; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), September 24, 1996, October 2, 1996, October 4, 1996, October 14, 1996, March 4, 1998, April 1, 1998, May 31, 1999, June 7, 1999, November 21, 2005, November 27, 2005, November 28, 2005; Reuters, March 10, 1998, March 18, 1998, April 6, 1998, April 13, 1998, April 15, 1998, May 27, 1999, May 31, 1999, June 15, 1999, October 27, 1999, October 28, 1999, February 18, 2003, February 20, 2003.]