ARMENIA REPORTEDLY SETS UP NEW PARTY IDENTICAL TO AZATAKAN OVER TIES WITH TURKEY

168 Zham daily
June 25 2009
Armenia

The leader of the Ramkavar Azatakan (Democratic Liberal) Party (RAP),
Harutyun Arakelyan, did not deny reports that Armenia’s president
and prime minister are involved in establishing an identical party,
Armenakan Ramkavar Azatakan Party (ARAP).

The ARAP’s closed-door founding forum was held on 19 June in
Yerevan. The participants in the forum included a RAP representative –
the editor of the Azg daily, Hakob Avetikyan, and an analyst of the
daily, Armen Manvelyan, the pro-opposition Aravot daily reported
on 20 June. Manvelyan, who was elected the ARAP’ s acting leader,
denied reports that Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was involved in
establishment of the ARAP, Aravot daily added.

Arakelyan said the reason for establishing the ARAP is in "the recent
Armenian-Turkish ‘hugging’", while answering the 168 Zham’s question
"why the Armenian president and prime minister need establishment
of such a party". The RAP leader said the "traditional parties" are
against the current process of Armenian-Turkish relations and said
his party demanded resignation of Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard
Nalbandyan on 30 April, 168 Zham reported.

Arakelyan said that efforts to set up the ARAP are "steps against"
a "traditional" party – RAP, which "has been in the opposition for
the past six years", 168 Zham reported. Arakelyan said that efforts
to establish the ARAP have been taken irrespective of the fact that
leaders of the RAP branches from Beirut, Canada and New York have sent
letters to "the president" saying that one "should not try to establish
a party with a similar name [similar to the RAP] in Armenia", 168 Zham
reported. The RAP leader said a few members of the RAP, who have been
"expelled" from the party, joined the ARAP.

Arakelyan did not rule out the RAP’s cooperation with former President
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who currently leads the opposition Armenian
National Congress. He welcomed Ter-Petrosyan’s announcement of
rejecting revolutionary methods of activities, adding that in
comparison to "fundamental function" of Ter-Petrosyan and his
surrounding, the RAP carries out a "practical function", 168 Zham
reported.