THE FORMATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE OF THE COMMUNIST (BOLSHEVIK) PARTY OF ARMENIA IN SOVIET ARMENIA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 1920S

Abstract

In the 1920s the one-party system of governance of the Communist (Bolshevik) Party of Armenia (C(B)PA) was formed. The aim of this article is to show the process of establishment of one-party system as one of the most important principles of governance of C(B)PA. In the research we have mostly used the documents of the Social-Political Documents’ Sector of the National Archive of Armenia (former Party Archive attached to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia), more definitely the decisions of the Presidium and the Secretariat of the Central Committee of C(B)PA. All documents are been put in circulation for the first time. After the change of power the C(B)PA began to form the executive, legislative and judicial bodies on one-party basis. This policy began with the formation of the Council of People’s Commissars and subordinating it to the party. The C(B)PA not only was nominating or dismissing the commissars, but also their deputies and other important employees in the commissariats. By its decisions, the C(B)PA was making changes in the structure of the government, instructing the people’s commissars, inspecting their reports etc. Even the dates of the government was fixed by the Presidium of the Central Committee of C(B)PA. After taking the executive power under its control, the C(B)PA began to implement the same policy as regards to the legislative power. For example, the Presidium of the Central Committee of C(B)PA recommended the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs in June 1921 to present the program of the election of village and city Soviets, as well as a timetable about how will be done the shift from Revolutionary Committees to the Soviets: which step must follow the other. The “elections” were a mere process of bestowing deputy mandates to candidates chosen and approved by the bodies of C(B)PA. This formal process ended in January 1922 when the de jure supreme body of power of Soviet Armenia, the Congress of Soviets of the Republic was convened. The Presidium and the Secretariat of the Central Committee of C(B)PA have inspected and approved the composition of the candidates, the agenda, the list of the orators and their texts and the would-be decisions. In parallel with subordinating the executive and legislative powers to itself, the C(B)PA followed the same policy as regards to the judicial power. So, although the supreme power of the state in Soviet Armenia de jure was the Congress of Soviets of the Republic, it was C(B)PA which in reality was governing the republic through congresses, plenary sessions, its Presidency, Secretariat and District and City Soviets.