ACCORDING TO EDWARD ANTINIAN, LPPA ACTIVITY RETURNS TO LEGAL PLANE

NOYAN TAPAN

JU NE 25

"The Liberal-Progressive Party of Armenia (LPPA), on June 22, at last
convened its second special congress, therefore, party’s activity was
brought from the illegal plane to the legal one," Edward Antinian,
the newly elected Chairman of LPPA, stated at the June 25 press
conference. He said that party’s founding congress took place in
2004 and former LPPA Chairman Hovhannes Hovhannisian has not held
a congress since then, while the RA legislation stipulates that
parties should hold a congress at least once every two years. As
regards sittings of LPPA Political Board, according to E. Antinian,
they have been constantly held under the conditions of no quorum.

He stated that the decision to support first RA President Levon
Ter-Petrosian in the presidential elections was also made with
no quorum.

Therefore, according to E. Antinian, that decision is deprived of
legal bases. Meanwhile he explained that he and his co-thinkers are
not against supporting L. Ter-Petrosian, but consider that such and
any other decision should be made only legally. "If now the Political
Board decides to join the National Movement, it will be just this way,"
he said.

The newly elected LPPA leader touched upon the "hints" in press,
according to which the disagreements in LPPA are caused by the RA
authorities, which wish to take away one party from L. Ter-Petrosian’s
team. E. Antinian addressing to journalists said: "Are you of such
a high opinion about these authorities, do you think that they have
done and finished all their duties and now are establishing law and
order inside opposition parties?."