PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: info@heritage.am; office@heritage.am
Website:

30 May 2008

Heritage Holds Executive Session:
Party Convention Slated for July 11

Yerevan–The Heritage Party’s Governing Council today called a special
meeting devoted to a number of pressing agenda items, including the
nationwide institutional crisis flowing from February’s presidential
elections and reflected in the well-known April resolution of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Raffi K. Hovannisian, chairman of the Heritage Party, opened the
meeting, expressing his profound gratitude to the 31 assembled
delegates, all party members and public supporters for their civic
activity carried out, and righteous commitment demonstrated, on a
daily basis throughout the year. Hovannisian then reflected on the
current situation in Armenia: "Regardless of Heritage’s current
mandate at the National Assembly, during this one year the party
further consolidated its pivotal role in domestic and international
affairs and justified in large measure the vote of confidence it
received from the people. Regrettably, certain political actors who do
not comprehend–or do not wish to accept–this truth have not given
appropriate reactions to a long string of substantive Heritage
initiatives, including the recent ‘Summary Program of Priority
Reforms’ which the party has proposed. This notwithstanding, Heritage
will persistently press on its chosen path and, together with the
nation, will ultimately execute the imperative of resolving the
current political turmoil and securing an institutional system change
for the Republic."

During the ensuing deliberations, the Council members, invited guests,
and other session participants confirmed that the requirements of PACE
Resolution 1609 to date have not in essence been met by the Armenian
authorities. In addition, the ruling powers also have not yet replied
to Heritage’s proposal to launch a meaningful dialogue, including a
full consideration of its "Summary Program of Priority Reforms" which
the party’s board made public on May 19.

The Heritage Council members then expressed their support for the
party’s parliamentary group and its initiative to formally request
that the president of Armenia grant citizenship to Zhirair Sefilian, a
devotee of Artsakh’s struggle for liberty and self-determination. The
Council also decided to reiterate the demand, in the framework of the
same formal request, for the release of Vardan Malkhasian, Sasun
Mikaelian, Miasnik Malkhasian, Ararat Zurabian, Alexander Arzoumanian
and all other prisoners of conscience, as well as the immediate
cessation of any and all political pursuit with regard to members of
the opposition and civil society at large.

The Heritage delegates then proceeded to examine the proposals for
amendments to the party’s charter, bylaws, and political platform.
Council member Movses Aristakesian presented the primary policy
changes which will be moved during Heritage’s forthcoming party
convention. For the most part, these amendments embody the points laid
down in the party’s election program that was adopted prior to the
2007 parliamentary polls. Hovsep Khurshudian, chairman of Heritage’s
Constitutional Commission, subsequently introduced the proposed
amendments to the charter’s provisions on electing the party chairman
and constituting its Council. In line with these changes, the party’s
regional representatives will now receive the right simultaneously to
be elected to the Council. The participants in today’s special sitting
also contemplated new guidelines for the correlation between
Heritage’s executive board and its parliamentary group.

In her turn, Zoya Tadevosian, Heritage’s representative at the Central
Election Commission, broached several matters concerning the local
government elections to be held this autumn. In the exchange of views
and outlooks which followed, the Council members spoke largely in
favor of active involvement in these elections by supporting
Heritage’s own as well as other alternative candidates. During the
session, Stepan Safarian of Heritage’s parliamentary fraction also
presented an accounting of its one-year activity. Heritage board
member and MP Vardan Khachatrian then offered concluding remarks.

After conducting a complete examination of the situation in Armenia,
the Heritage Party’s Council unanimously adopted its decision on
Heritage’s role, objectives, and policies in the run-up to the party
convention which it called for July 11. The decision reads:

"Deeming crucial the task of surmounting the national-institutional
crisis that resulted from the presidential elections of 19 February
2008, and implementing to that end PACE Resolution 1609 of 17April
2008, the Heritage Party underscores for the record that:

a) The overcoming of the contemporary nationwide turmoil demands from
all government and opposition forces and individuals that they fully
and equally comprehend the new state of affairs created in the country
and adopt a constructive and inclusive work ethic which rules out
reciprocal annihilation, marginalization, imitation, and
crisis-derivative demeanor.

b) Being guided by precisely this sense of duty, throughout April and
May the Heritage Party launched initiatives–and made comprehensive
proposals–to bridge the divide existing between the citizens and the
administration, to encourage a public discourse among all political
forces which are responsible for the current situation, and to carry
out the requirements of PACE Resolution 1609 in mutual cooperation and
with combined forces; unfortunately, instead of being accepted and
comprehensively studied, these initiatives and proposals at best
received superficial, spurious, and parochial interpretations which
amount to excuses for not engaging in true dialogue.

c) Honoring the PACE resolution is not a mere matter of accountability
before European institutions but rather represents the necessity of
bringing to fruition the dignity and interests of Armenia’s citizens
and of its newly independent statehood; we must be the first to expect
the highest of democratic standards for our nation.

d) The looming isolation from the family of civilized nations–and a
deepening deadlock for authority and opposition alike–is the price
Armenia might indeed pay should it not come to its senses; the
alternative, on the other hand, is the delivery of a quantum leap onto
the country’s main artery of real democratic development, which can be
accomplished solely by way of critical introspection and the firm
precedence of national interests over partisan positions.

Based on these affirmations, the Heritage Party’s Council hereby decides:

1. To support the party’s leader in his continuing quest to realize
rational proposals for political and societal discourse and to make
use of every available means to that end;

2. To instruct the Heritage Party’s parliamentary group to prepare
legislative initiatives for the implementation of the measures
outlined in the "Summary Program of Priority Reforms" which Heritage
made public on May 19 and which reflect the terms stipulated in PACE
Resolutions 1601 and 1609;

3. To call Heritage’s Fifth Convention on July 11 and to constitute a
task force comprising board members, party activists, and
freedom-loving citizens which will assume responsibility for the
organization and conduct of this public congress;

4. There to deliver a complete and conclusive assessment of the
nation’s political phase preceding the Fifth Convention and of the
party’s activities, accomplishments, and setbacks during that span,
and to redefine by resolution of the Convention the challenges,
objectives, and policies for the years to come.

30 May 2008
Yerevan"

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at office@heritage.am or info@heritage.am, and website
at