US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN1678

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 YEREVAN 001678 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, AM 
SUBJECT:  PARTY PRIMER:  TOP ARMENIAN POLITICAL 
PARTIES 
 
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please treat 
accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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2. (SBU) With 64 registered political parties (as of 
July 30, 2004) voters in Armenia suffer no lack of 
choice.  The following parties are represented 
within the National Assembly (NA):  the Republican 
Party of Armenia, Armenian Revolutionary Federation 
(ARF) Dashnaktsutyun, Country of Law (Orinats 
Yerkir), People's Party of Armenia, National Accord 
Party, Republic Party and United Labor Party. 
(Note:  The governing coalition consists of the 
Republican Party of Armenia, Armenian Revolutionary 
Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun, and Country of Law 
(Orinats Yerkir).  There are an additional 17 MPs in 
the Peoples' Deputy group that generally support the 
government, and 15 MPs who are not aligned with any 
faction or group.  The remainder oppose the current 
government.  End Note.)  Other significant parties 
include:  the National Democratic Union, 
Constitutional Rights Union, Social Democratic 
Hnchakian Party, Armenian National Movement, Liberal 
Democratic Ramkavar Party, Self Determination Union, 
Communist Party, and the Christian Democratic Party. 
There are several dozen other minor registered 
parties.  End Summary. 
 
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REPUBLICAN PARTY 
---------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Founded in 1988, the Republican Party (RP) 
was formally registered May 14, 1991.  With 40 out 
of 131 seats in the National Assembly, the RP has 
significant clout:  its key figures include party 
chairman Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, and 
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran 
Torosian.  Former Soviet-era dissident Ashot 
Navasardyan founded the RP in 1988.  Military units 
formed under the Party's banner fought in the N-K 
war.  Later the units were merged with the regular 
army.  At the end of 1994, RP switched from being in 
opposition to the government to joining the Republic 
bloc led by the then-ruling ANM party.  In 1998 RP, 
led by then Defense Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, merged 
with the Yerkrapah Union of the Karabakh war 
volunteers and, a few months later, on the eve of 
the 1999 parliamentary elections formed the Unity 
bloc with the newly-established People's Party of 
Armenia.  A pro-government party, RP formed an 
electoral alliance with the ARF Dashanaktsutyun and 
Orinats Yerkir on the eve of the 2003 parliamentary 
race.  The electoral alliance earned a landslide 
victory with an overwhelming majority in the 
National Assembly.  RP is currently considered a 
ruling party.  It supports economic and democratic 
reforms and favors a strong executive branch. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
4. (SBU) Founded in 1890 in Tbilisi by Armenian 
nationalist and socialist revolutionaries who 
operated in the Caucasus and Western Armenia, the 
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun 
(ARF) was first registered in Armenia July 2, 1991. 
The party was subsequently banned December 28, 1994, 
but the GOAM lifted the ban in 1998 (citing changed 
political circumstances).  Key figures include Hrant 
Margarian, Vahan Hovhannisian, Armen Rustamian, 
Levon Mkrtchian, and Aghvan Vardanian.  The ARF 
operates two newspapers, "Yerkir" (Country) and 
"Hayots Ashkharh" (The Armenian World).  ARF 
controls 11 out of 131 seats in the National 
Assembly. 
 
5. (SBU) The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun has been the most 
popular "traditional" party and the most active 
political force in the Armenian Diaspora.  The 
Dashnak Party ruled the first Armenian Republic of 
1918.  In 1920, it ceded power to the Communist 
Party.  Many Dashnaks fled Armenia, while others 
were repressed.  The Dashnak Party was banned in 
Armenia during the Soviet period.  The growth of 
glasnost during the last few years of the USSR 
allowed the Dashnaks to reestablish themselves in 
Armenia in 1988.  Nevertheless, the main ruling body 
of the party, the Bureau, remains in Athens, Greece. 
From the outset, the Dashnak Party was the major 
opposition force to the Armenian government in 
power.  On December 28, 1994, President Ter- 
Petrossian banned the party by decree.  He accused 
the party of criminal activities, drug trafficking, 
assassinations, and fostering of terrorist groups 
(the so-called "Dro" clandestine organization.)  The 
President's decree was followed by a decision of the 
Supreme Court to suspend the Party in January 1995 
since it did not comply with the country's laws 
banning party membership of non-Armenian citizens. 
Several ARF leaders spent several years in jail. 
After LTP's resignation in February 1998, then 
acting president Kocharian released ARF leaders due 
to the "changed political situation."  ARF is 
currently a pro-government party. 
 
6. (SBU) The Dashnak Party is a socialist- 
nationalist party.  It sees its ultimate goal as 
pursuing "The Armenian Cause," worldwide recognition 
of the Armenian genocide, and integration of Western 
and Eastern Armenia into one powerful state. 
Traditionally, party activities have not been 
transparent.  In the course of its history, the 
party carried out a number of "revenge acts" against 
Turkish diplomats and other citizens.  The ARF 
supports the independent status of Karabakh and any 
decision to promote its independence.  Members of 
the ARF fought actively in the Karabakh conflict and 
the party had its own military units.  Later, when 
Karabakh and Armenia formed regular armies, some of 
the Dashnak units merged with the armies, others 
were disarmed.  The ARF remains a major political 
force in the Armenian Diaspora, and retains a wide 
support base in Armenia, especially among the youth. 
 
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COUNTRY OF LAW (ORINATS YERKIR) 
------------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) The Orinats Yerkir Party (Country of Law) 
(OY) was founded in 1998 under the direction of its 
Chairman, Speaker of the National Assembly Arthur 
Baghdasarian, and holds 20 out of 131 seats in the 
NA.  Established on the eve of the 1999 
parliamentary elections, OY appeared to have the 
support of then-Minister of National Security and 
Interior Serzh Sargsian.  A new player on the 
Armenian political arena, OY nevertheless overcame 
the 5 percent threshold at the 1999 parliamentary 
elections and ended up having 5 seats in the 
parliament.  Four years later OY impressively 
expanded its parliamentary group to 20 members with 
its chairman Baghdasarian elected as a NA speaker. 
 
8. (SBU) A right-centrist party, OY emphasizes 
legislative activities and is responsible for more 
than 30 percent of all drafts submitted to the 
parliament in 1999-2003.  OY is one of the few 
parties with a well-organized structure and strong 
regional branches.  During the 2003 parliamentary 
electoral campaign OY made "generous" -- and quite 
unrealistic -- promises to increase salaries and 
return Soviet-era savings -- a move that added to 
OY's reputation as a "bunch of populists." 
Currently, OY is trying to push some of these highly 
controversial drafts through the parliament. 
 
------------------------- 
PEOPLE'S PARTY OF ARMENIA 
------------------------- 
 
9. (SBU) The People's Party of Armenia (PPA) was 
founded in 1999.  It holds 5 of the 14 seats 
controlled by the Justice Bloc in the National 
Assembly (out of 131 total).  Founded by the former 
First Secretary of the Armenian Communist Party, 
charismatic Karen Demirchian, the PPA unites the so- 
called "red directors" and former Soviet 
nomenclatura, as well as people opposed to Robert 
Kocharian.  Demirchian's son, Stepan, inherited the 
party after the October 27 assassinations; thus far, 
however, he has not demonstrated his father's 
charisma, maturity or experience.  Ideologically, 
the PPA is a right-centrist party; most of its 
energy, however, has been spent on an anti-Kocharian 
campaign.  (Note:  The leadership of the PPA remains 
strongly convinced that Kocharian was involved in 
the October 27, 1999 assassinations.  End Note.)  In 
2001 there was a mass exodus from the PPA rumored to 
be initiated by the President's office.  As a 
result, the PPA lost all of its key positions in the 
National Assembly. 
10. (SBU) According to official Central Election 
Commission results of the second round of the 2003 
presidential elections, Demirchian received 32.48 
percent of votes vice 67.52 percent received by 
President Kocharian.  The opposition parties claim 
election fraud and falsification; the election 
results were disputed at the Constitutional Court. 
While the Constitutional Court's final ruling upheld 
Kocharian's victory, the court suggested holding a 
vote of confidence for Kocharian in order to confirm 
his legitimacy.  Although later the Court withdrew 
its suggestion, claiming there was no more need for 
such a vote, this controversial statement triggered 
a round of debates in the parliament that resulted 
in the opposition boycotting NA sessions. 
 
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NATIONAL ACCORD 
--------------- 
 
11. (SBU) The National Accord party (also known as 
"National Unity" party) was founded in 1997. 
National Accord is a right-centrist party built 
around its leader, Artashes Geghamian. Currently the 
party has 8 of 131 seats in the parliament.  A 
former Soviet apparatchik, Geghamian became popular 
through his anti-Kocharian populist speeches.  After 
the parliamentary killings in 1999 Geghamian 
supported President Kocharian and allegedly hoped 
(in vain) to be appointed Prime Minister.  Since 
then Geghamian has been one of the harshest critics 
of the current regime. 
 
12. (SBU) Following complicated negotiations, the 
party refused to become a part of the Justice bloc 
during the 2003 parliamentary elections.  In the 
beginning of 2004, however, the National Accord 
faction, along with the Justice Block deputies, 
decided to boycott the National Assembly sessions. 
Some sources report that the party is financed from 
Russia, others note that the party is financed by 
former N-K "Defense Minister" Samvel Babayan 
(especially for the 1999 parliamentary elections). 
 
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REPUBLIC PARTY 
-------------- 
 
13. (SBU) Founded in 2001, the Republic Party (RP) 
has 2 of the 14 Justice Bloc seats in the National 
Assembly, and is led by co-chairmen Aram Sargsyan 
and Albert Bazeyan.  The RP was originally 
established as an opposition party by a group of 
former government officials that include ex-Prime 
Minister Sargsyan, ex-Mayor of Yerevan Bazeyan, ex- 
Defense Minister Harutyunian, ex-Minister of Tax 
Minister Ayvazian, ex-deputy Health Minister 
Zeynalyan, etc.  They have opposed the current 
authorities starting after the October 27, 1999 
parliamentary assassinations; their current 
relations with the government are deeply 
antagonistic.  The RP never dropped its allegations 
claiming that President Kocharian was directly 
involved in the October 27 events and has strongly 
criticized the authorities for a "biased and 
incomplete" investigation of the October 27 criminal 
case.  Most of the RP founding members split from 
the Republican Party citing "opportunism" and 
collaboration with Kocharian in 1999-2000; they 
established the RP with essentially one goal in 
mind, to oust Kocharian. 
 
14. (SBU) The RP strongly supported Stepan 
Demirchian during the 2003 presidential elections 
and formed an election Justice bloc with the 
People's Party of Armenia on the eve of the 2003 
National Assembly (NA) elections.  The Justice 
Bloc's election performance was disappointing for 
its members: the bloc garnered only 14 seats.  In 
parliament, the RP actively pushed for a referendum 
on a presidential vote of confidence; the pro- 
government majority, however, torpedoed the 
referendum vote and since then the RP, together with 
other opposition members, has been boycotting the NA 
sessions and claimed they would move the anti- 
Kocharian campaign from parliament to the streets. 
In addition, the RP is currently considering 
replacing Demirchian with Aram Sargsyan due to what 
the party leadership perceives as Demirchian's lack 
of resourcefulness. 
 
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UNITED LABOR PARTY 
------------------ 
 
15. (SBU) The United Labor Party (ULP) was founded 
in 2002, and is led by its chairman Gurgen Arsenian 
and Levon Poghosian.  The ULP holds 6 out of 131 
seats in the National Assembly.  The ULP was founded 
on the eve of the 2003 parliamentary elections by a 
group of wealthy businessmen and entrepreneurs.  A 
new player on the Armenian political arena, the ULP 
nevertheless overcame (following substantial 
financial outlays) the 5 percent parliamentary 
threshold and received 6 seats in the National 
Assembly.  The ULP is a pro-government party that 
strongly supports free market reforms and 
establishment of rule of law society.  In the 
National Assembly, the ULP pushes for comprehensive 
economic legislation aimed at encouraging Armenian 
exports, small and medium-sized businesses, and 
investments.  The ULP shows less interest, however, 
in "pure politics;" the only strong and critical 
statement that the ULP has made thus far was during 
politically charged debates on the controversial 
(and eventually failed) draft amendments to the law 
on military service in the parliament.  (Note:  ULP 
Chairman Arsenian is a father of two sons.  End 
Note.) 
 
------------------------- 
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC UNION 
------------------------- 
 
16. (SBU) The National Democratic Union (NDU) was 
founded in 1991 and registered March 19, 1992. 
Under the leadership of its chairman Vazgen 
Manukian, the NDU has 1 seat out of 131 in the 
National Assembly.  The NDU is one of the most 
active, albeit small, opposition parties.  Its 
leader, Vazgen Manukian, was one of the founders of 
the Karabakh Movement, one time former prime 
minister, former defense minister and former close 
ally of former president Ter-Petrossian.  The NDU is 
primarily a party of individuals; with neither a 
developed party structure nor rank-and-file 
organization, the NDU does not have a cohesive 
platform.  The NDU claims that the ruling elite has 
betrayed the ideas of democracy and a market 
economy, and is leading the country toward 
dictatorship.  In mid-90s the NDU advocated 
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh (N-K) conflict by 
granting independent status to Karabakh in exchange 
for returning the occupied territories to 
Azerbaijan.  During the past two years, however, 
Manukian has attached more importance to regional 
development in the South Caucasus, placing the N-K 
conflict settlement and due process of reforms in 
Armenia into a regional context.  Most recently 
Manukian, as a Yerevan State University professor, 
was actively engaged in debates and meetings with 
students over the controversial bill on military 
service. 
 
17. (SBU) In the mid-90s Manukian was widely seen as 
the only individual in Armenia who could challenge 
then-president Ter-Petrossian in the 1996 
presidential elections.  Many election observers 
believe that Manukian did in fact win the 1996 
election.  Since then, however, the NDU has 
significantly weakened and gone through several 
splits.  The most recent division within the NDU in 
2001 appeared to be triggered mostly by the personal 
ambitions of some of its leaders; the core NDU 
group, however, survived. 
 
--------------------------- 
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNION 
--------------------------- 
 
18. (SBU) The Constitutional Rights Union (CRU) was 
registered August 19, 1991 under the leadership of 
Hrant Kachatryan and currently has one member in the 
National Assembly.  An extremely small opposition 
party, the CRU also allegedly received significant 
support during the 1999 parliamentary elections from 
N-K "Defense Minister" Samvel Babayan.  The party 
opposes President Kocharian. 
 
------------------------------ 
SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC HNCHAK PARTY 
------------------------------ 
 
19. (SBU) Social-Democratic Hnchak Party (SDHP) was 
founded in 1887 in Geneva and first registered in 
Armenia in 1991.  There is currently no chairman 
(following the controversial resignation of George 
Hakobian in late 2003).  The SDHP suspended 
publication of its weekly newspaper, the "Hnchak 
Hayastani" (Clarion of Armenia), several years ago 
due to financial problems.  The party has no seats 
in the National Assembly.  During the Soviet period, 
the party continued to function within the confines 
of the system.  Traditionally, SDHP has been 
extremely hostile to Dashnaks in the Diaspora.  SDHP 
is loosely organized without clearly specified 
program goals or strict hierarchy.  The Armenian 
branch of the SDHP maintains stronger ties with a 
diasporan party branch in Syria than with two other 
traditional parties, ARF Dashnaktsutyun and 
Ramkavars.  Since its return to Armenia in 1990, 
SDHP has been loyal and eager to cooperate with the 
authorities.  In mid-90, the Hnchak party, though 
ideologically socialist, allied itself with the then- 
ruling ANM party, and strongly supported Ter- 
Petrossian's administration; later on they supported 
Robert Kocharian equally strongly.  During the 2003 
presidential election campaign, however, SDHP then- 
chairman George Hakobian joined the opposition 
alliance of 16 parties to support Kocharian's major 
rival Stepan Demirchian -- a move that caused some 
controversy within the party. 
 
-------------------------- 
ARMENIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT 
-------------------------- 
 
20. (SBU) The Armenian National Movement (ANM) was 
founded in 1989 by former President Ter-Petrosyan 
along with other members of the "Karabakh 
Committee."  The long-time "party of power," it has 
seen its influence dwindle since Kocharian has been 
president.  The ANM favors a market economy, good 
relations with Turkey and a negotiated settlement of 
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.  Initially anti- 
Russian, the ANM more recently acknowledged the need 
for a "special relationship" with Russia. 
 
----------------------------------- 
DEMOCRATIC-LIBERAL PARTY (RAMKAVAR) 
----------------------------------- 
 
21. (SBU) The Democratic-Liberal Party (Ramkavar) 
was founded in 1921 in Istanbul following the 
unification of the Ramkavar (Democratic) and 
Azatagan (Liberal) parties; the party was registered 
in Armenia June 10, 1991.  Led by party chairman and 
National Assembly member Harutyun Karapetian, other 
key figures include the editor of the party's daily 
newspaper "Azg" (Nation) Hakob Avedikyan and the 
Tekeyan Society chairman Ruben Mirzakhanian.  In 
addition to "Azg" the party also has a weekly "Djayn 
Ramkavarats" (Voice of the Democrats) in Gyumri. 
 
22. (SBU) Ramkavar Party is one of the old, so- 
called traditional Armenian parties.  During the 
Soviet period, it was active in the Armenian 
Diaspora throughout the world and played, along with 
ARF Dashaktsutyun, a major role in preserving the 
Armenian Diaspora from assimilation.  Nevertheless, 
the Ramkavar and Dashnak parties have been 
traditionally hostile toward each other.  Following 
the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ramkavars 
restored their operations in Armenia.  The Ramkavar 
Party of Armenia is technically distinct from its 
organization in the Armenian Diaspora; in practice, 
however, it coordinates closely with its 
headquarters abroad.  The Ramkavars stand for 
democracy, liberalism, and a free market economy and 
champion working through the system as opposed to 
revolutionary activities.  Ramkavars pursue centrist 
policies and do not ally themselves with other 
parties, since, as Ramkavars assert, they are all 
tainted with a revolutionary zeal for usurping 
power.  The party supports Armenia's integration 
into the world economy.  It perceives the middle and 
wealthy classes as the core of its party. 
 
------------------------ 
SELF-DETERMINATION UNION 
------------------------ 
 
23. (SBU) The Self-Determination Union is a marginal 
opposition party.  Founded in 1987 and registered 
July 29, 1991, the party opposes increased Russian 
and other foreign influence.  Its leader, U.S. legal 
permanent resident Paruyr Hayrikian, was born in 
Yerevan in 1949.  Hayrikian joined the underground 
United National Party in the late 1960s and was 
arrested in 1969.  Hayrikian spent 17 years in the 
KGB prison on charges of political dissent.  In 
1988, he was stripped of his Soviet citizenship and 
exiled to Ethiopia before moving to the U.S. 
Hayrikian returned to Armenia in 1990, was elected 
to the Parliament and served two terms (1990 and 
1995).  Hayrikian ran for the 1991 presidential 
election as Chairman of the Self-Determination 
Union, a right-center nationalistic party, and 
received 8 percent of the vote (Ter-Petrossian 
received 83 percent).  During the 1996 presidential 
election campaign Hayrikian joined the opposition 
alliance and supported their joint candidate Vazgen 
Manukian.  During the 1998 Presidential election, 
Hayrikian received 5.4 percent of the vote and chose 
to support Robert Kocharian for the run-off.  After 
Kocharian's election as President, Hayrikian was 
appointed Adviser to the President, Chairman of the 
Presidential Human Rights Committee, and Chairman of 
Constitutional Amendments Committee.  He resigned a 
few years later.  Hayrikian and his party have moved 
away from their earlier pro-government stance and 
now oppose the President. 
 
--------------- 
COMMUNIST PARTY 
--------------- 
 
24. (SBU) The Communist Party (CP) was formally 
registered July 29, 1991, as the successor of the 
Armenian branch of the Communist Party of the USSR. 
With fewer than 50,000 members country-wide (most of 
them quite elderly), the Communist Party is no 
longer especially influential.  The party favors 
close political and economic ties with Russia, at 
one point going so far as to call for a 
"confederation," along with the Russia-Belarus 
union, to include Nagorno-Karabakh.  In the past the 
Communist Party has criticized post-independence 
GOAM economic reforms, calling today's Armenia "a 
nation of shopkeepers." 
 
-------------------------- 
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY 
-------------------------- 
 
25. (SBU) Former Prime Minister and former Speaker 
of the National Assembly Khosrov Harutyunian leads 
the Christian Democratic Party (CDP), founded in 
1991.  The party is a marginal left-centrist party 
that professes to a mix of liberal political 
philosophy and Christian values.  It currently has 
no seats in parliament.  One of the few Armenian 
parties with a woman in a leadership position, the 
CDP was chaired by Ida Martirosian until three years 
ago; she remains active in party affairs. 
 
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NEW TIMES PARTY 
--------------- 
 
26. (SBU) The New Times Party was founded in 
February 2004 by Aram Karepetyan.  Although the New 
Times Party is only recently established, it is an 
important player among small opposition parties in 
Armenia.  A formal member of the opposition Justice 
bloc, the party nonetheless maintains its own agenda 
distinct from its membership in the coalition. 
During the opposition rallies that followed the 2003 
presidential elections, the party's chairman Aram 
Karapetyan commanded some of the largest audiences. 
The party's economic theories and a strong pro- 
Russian bias are unique among current political 
groups. 
ORDWAY