ARMENIAN RAMKAVAR AZATAKAN PARTY LEAVES WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS

Regnum, Russia
Nov 21 2006

One of founders of the World Armenian Congress (WAC) Armenian Ramkavar
Azatakan Party (ARAP) announced about its leaving the abovementioned
organization. According to a party statement released on November
20, initially the ARAP enthusiastically appreciated prospect of
establishing such organization.

According to the statement, it became disappointed soon with chaotic
and irresponsible functioning of the WAC. In particular, leadership of
the ARAP repeatedly requested leadership of the WAC to submit a report
on its functioning. It has not received yet such report; it is said
in the statement. In that connection, the ARAP central governing body
stated that it did not account for the WAC functioning, as well as for
functioning and publications of the Azg newspaper which was handed over
to another owner against the party’s wish and without its agreement
whereas all party efforts to change the false order remained fruitless.

It is worth stressing; the WAC was founded in 2003 when parliamentary
elections were conducted in Armenia. Brother of the WAC Chairman and
Russian Armenian Union (RAU) Chairman Ara Abramyan Gagik Abramyan was
nominated according to the ARAP party lists; however, the ARAP did not
manage to overcome the 5% barrier. Gagik Abramyan stated recently that
he was going to participate in parliamentary elections again; however,
he gave it to understand that he was not going to cooperate with the
ARAP. In his turn, Ara Abramyan stated o November 20 that importance of
political sympathies of the RAU should not be overestimated. "However,
at present, we need to familiarize ourselves with election programs
of Armenian political parties," the RAU chairman stated adding that
decision on contributing to any political party in Armenia might be
made in collective way during discussions in frameworks of the RAU
and the WAC.