ARF’s Supreme Convention to suggest answers to all questions

Yerkir/arm
October 29, 2004

By Karine Mangassarian

The Supreme Convention of Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Armenia
organization opens today. The Supreme Convention is a good occasion
for theparty to look back at what its has done.

Levon Mkrtchian, member of ARF’s Supreme Body and leader of National
Assembly’s ARF faction says the Convention will address the questions
of party building, relations with coalition partners and other
political parties. Issues connected with the upcoming elections as
well as the country’s foreign policy will also be discussed at the
Convention. `ARF’s General Convention has addressed the possible
developments for Armenia given the rapidly changing political
situation in the region.

The General Convention has made several strategic statements that are
crucial for ARF in Armenia’, Mkrtchian said adding that several
interestingproposals have been received from party structures in the
regions of Armenia that will be included in the discussion at the
Supreme Convention.

These proposals deal with different spheres. The Convention is
important because it will be held before the local government
elections in 2005, as well as the next parliamentary and presidential
elections.

Mkrtchian said the Supreme Convention will develop a special scenario
of developments that will later be implemented by the ARF Supreme
Body.

Answering the question whether it is not too early to speak about the
next elections, Mkrtchian noted that the Convention does not aim at
making any detailed prognoses regarding this issue. `The Convention
will discuss the party’s position regarding the political situation in
the country, the coalition, the internal political stability in
Armenia as well as foreign policy issues.

We have repeatedly stated that the party’s main goal is the
preservation of stability in the country and maintenance of the
national polices adopted since 1998. This is our strategic goal and
all our discussions and statements will be centered around it,’
Mkrtchian stated.

Any convention or press conference held by ARF stirs wide public
discussion, particularly around the issue of whether or not the party
will remain in the coalition.

Commenting on this, Mkrtchian reminded that the coalition unites
different political forces and that it does not mean a political
bloc. `The coalition includes different political parties that have
different approaches to many issues. They have serious ideological
differences. The coalition simply unites political forces that have
committed themselves to certain obligations by signing the coalition
memorandum.

The level of fulfillment of those obligations will show whether or not
our participation in the coalition is justified,’ Mkrtchian stated
adding that if people see that the obligations envisaged in the
memorandum are not fulfilled they will make the corresponding
decision. As to the practical implementation of the memorandum,
Mkrtchian believes that certain accomplishments have been made.

Commenting on democratization in Armenia, struggle against corruption
and other related issues, Mkrtchian stated that this sphere is
improving very slowly. `We still have a lot to do in this respect,’
Mkrtchian concluded.