"THE PRESENT HRAK IS QUITE DIFFERENT"

A1+
[06:19 pm] 03 September, 2007

"The Alliance Party (DK) has already made a decision and it cannot
be overturned," DK board member Gnel Ghlechyan told A1+ in connection
with their possible alliance with the Armenian Ramkavar Azatakan Party
(HRAK).

The DK will convene a session at the end of September to decide the
party’s final dissolution.

The DK and the National Revival Party (AVK) are no longer
negotiating. According to Gnel Ghlechyan the reasons are merely
technical: the party’s central office is moving, therefore they don’t
have any ties with others.

HRAK representative Harutyun Arakelyan informed A1+ that they have
some preliminary arrangements which remain unchanged. "The process
will have its logical outcome by the turn of the year."

In reply to the question whether the HRAK members have normal attitude
to an alliance with Samvel Babayan, Harutyun Arakelyan said, "Well,
we meet and have talks. Why should the party members react negatively?

Our members triple and we unite our efforts."

To the question whether AVK’s conservative ideas go in line
with HRAK’s liberal ideology, Harutyun Arakelyan said, "Being a
traditional party, the HRAK has conservative elements as well but
as there are conservative parties in Armenia let me stay refrain
from assessments. The press should leave us alone. We have openly
announced about our alliance."

The DK has already decided to ally with the HRAK whereas the AVK
faces serious problems in this view.

A1+ asked Harutyun Arakelyan whether they still continue negotiations
with Albert Bazeyan who resigned from the AVK chairman’s post.

"I won’t tell you anything definite. Let’s not go into details. I am
only speaking about the phenomenon.

There are people who expressed readiness to ally with the
HRAK. Everything will be all right in case the press does not
interfere," he said.

Ruben Mirzakhanyan, the former HRAK representative, is indifferent to
the process. This is a positive step to strengthen parties. 70-80
parties are a little more for our small country. And yet it is
still too early to make predictions. I can share my opinion after
the alliance. Being a party member for a long time I can state one
thing for sure, the present HRAK greatly differs from the former
one. I wouldn’t say it is better or worse than the former one but it
is different."