Peace and Development Party | |
Native Name: | Խաղաղություն և զարգացում կուսակցություն |
Leader: | Garik Grigoryan |
Ideology: | Social liberalism[1] |
Position: | Centre-left |
Headquarters: | Stepanakert |
Country: | Artsakh |
Seats1 Title: | National Assembly |
The Peace and Development Party (Armenian: Խաղաղություն և զարգացում կուսակցություն) was an Armenian political party in Artsakh.
The Peace and Development Party was established on 25 October 2014.[2] Its founder and current party leader is Garik Grigoryan. The party currently has no parliamentary representation within the National Assembly and acts as an extra-parliamentary force.
On 26 November 2016, a political party by the same name also registered itself in Armenia, by political analyst Andrias Ghukasyan.[3] Ghukasyan hoped that both parties would cooperate together. During an interview, Ghukasyan stated, "I think that in the future a joint alliance of the Armenian and Artsakh parties will be formed, which will give an opportunity to have a new political force, which operates jointly in both Artsakh and Armenia."[4] [5] [6] However, Chairman Garik Grigoryan confirmed that the two parties have no connection.[7]
The party did participate in the 2015 Nagorno-Karabakh parliamentary elections, winning just 0.86% of the popular vote and failing to win any seats in the National Assembly.[8] Following the election, the party released a statement criticizing the lack of democracy in the country. The party opted not to participate in the 2020 Artsakhian general election.[9] [10]
The party advocates for peace in the Caucasus region, the right for Artsakh citizens to determine their own future, fighting corruption and authoritarianism, and supporting the economic development of Artsakh.[1]