Local Governance Reforms in Post-Soviet Armenia

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the attempts by the Armenian parliament to reform Soviet-era local government institutions. The article focuses on the historical period of the early 1990s, when Armenia was overcoming the difficult path to independence. The methodology of this research includes the examination of archival documents, many of which had not been previously used, the method of comparative analysis using the experiences of other post-communist countries, content analysis, and the historical-genetic method. The article discusses the Parliaments failed attempts to overcome the authoritarian legacy by transforming the local council system, and adapting it to the new conditions of an independent Armenia. While many countries of the socialist camp pursued democratic designs for state institutions within the framework of already existing states, Armenia, like many other post-Soviet countries, faced a more complex situation. The democratization of local government institutions was carried out alongside the building of statehood. The experience of Armenia in this area is one of many post-communist countries and vividly demonstrates that, despite certain similarities in historical processes, there is no universal recipe or single path that can guide any country to overcome its authoritarian legacy and successfully transition to democracy.