NEWLY ELECTED SUPREME BODY OF ARF ARMENIA ORGANIZATION HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE

Yerkir
12.09.2006 16:13

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Body
of Armenia representative Armen Rustamian, National Assembly’s ARF
faction leader Hrayr Karapetian and faction member Spartak Seyranian
spoke Tuesday at a news conference held to present the resolutions
of the Supreme Congress.

More than 100 delegates of the congress discussed the report of the
ARF Supreme Body of Armenia on its activities in the past two years
(2004-2006).

Issues related to socio-economic, internal political and foreign
situations as well as national issues and the parliamentary election
due in 2007 were also discussed. The congress also elected the ARF
Supreme Body of Armenia, which on September 11 elected Armen Rustamian
the SB representative.

Armen Rustamian presented the main resolutions of the congress.

The number of the ARF Supreme Body of Armenia members has been
increased to 21 from 9. Rustamian explained that there is more work
to do. Cabinet ministers representing the ARF as well as more young
people and women have been elected to the Supreme Body.

Rustamian said the congress has concluded that the participation
of the ARF in the coalition government "was justified in order to
maintain the national political course, to boost the democratization
process and resolve socio-economic issues."

"But our struggle has not yielded desirable results in several
field, including fighting corruption despite Armenia’s joining an
international anti-corruption organization and adoption of several
anti-corruption laws," Rustamian said.

Speaking of the upcoming elections, Rustamian mentioned that conducting
free and fair elections is the key to overcome the challenges the
country faces.

"The ARF will widely collaborate with political forces in the
National Assembly election but will not participate in election
alliances," Rustamian pointed out. He added that the party will hold
an extraordinary congress to elect candidates who would run for the
National Assembly under the proportional system. The congress to
be held next year will also nominate a presidential candidate to
represent the party in the next presidential election, Rustamian said.

National Assembly’s ARF faction leader Hrayr Karapetian, in turn,
spoke of the ARF faction’s future activities at the National Assembly.

"The first task of our faction will be to adopt laws stemming from
the constitutional amendments," Karapetian said. "Those include the
Law on Dual Citizenship that the ARF deems crucial, as well as the
law on independent national audit chamber that would be critical in
fighting corruption."

The party will also pursue adoption of several other laws, such as
laws bodyguards, consumer basket, and private investigation.