Levon Ter-Petrosyan: Hnchak party has essentially contributed to ANC’s
formation
09.01.2010 17:22 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Leader of Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon
Ter-Petrosyan delivered a speech during the 7th session of
Social-Democrat Hnchak Party.
Highly appreciating the party’s role, Armenia’s ex-President said, `I
am quite familiar with the history of establishing Hnchak Party in
Armenia and can definitely say that as a political force it gained
popularity among Armenians over the recent two years. It has
essentially contributed tgo the formation of ANC,’ he noted.
According to Mr. Ter-Petrosyan, ` The opposition’s weakening is
possible only in case the authorities’ efforts prove successful, but
over the past two years the country only experienced defeats and
failures.’
Touching on the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, Mr. Ter-Petrosyan
approved the party’s negative stance on the process.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the first President of Armenia (1988-1998).
Starting from February 1988, he headed Karabakh committee. From
December 1988 till May 1998, he was arrested together with other
committee members.
In November 1989, Levon Ter-Petrosyan was elected as member of
Pan-Armenian National Movement’s governing board, and subsequently
became its Chairperson (August 27, 1989). He was later elected to ASSR
Supreme Council and held the Speaker’s post in 1990-91.
Ter-Petrosyan was elected as Armenia’s first President on October 16,
1991 and was subsequently re-elected in 1996.
In 1998 he resigned from post because of disagreements over Karabakh
issue, In 2008, Ter-Petrosyan ran for presidency again, but was
defeated by the country’s current leader Serzh Sargsyan. He is the
founder and leader of Armenian National Congress, the central
pro-opposition force in Armenia.
The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party is one of the oldest political
parties in Armenia and the first Socialist party in the Ottoman Empire
and in Persia in the 1880s. It was founded in 1887 by Avetis
Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Ruben Khan-Azat and others, who studied
in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia’s independence
from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation
movement Its name, taken from its newspaper Hunchak, means "Bell" in
English, and is taken by party members to represent "awakening,
enlightenment, and freedom."
Hunchak party fought many battles against the Ottoman Empire, to free
the Armenian people from Turkish rule. One of Armenia’s famous
national heroes Andranik Ozanian, at first, joined the Hunchak party,
but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak
ranks and join the Dashnak party.
The party also played role in establishment of Democratic Republic of
Armenia, as party members took part in the Battle of Sardarapat,
during the World War I at Caucasus Campaign, which defended the
Armenian capital of Yerevan from Army of Islam of Ottoman Empire.
In the early 1990s, it took part in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
This party is operates branches in United States, Lebanon, Syria,
Kuwait, Armenia, Egypt, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Australia,
Britain, France, Cyprus etc.
It was also active in Lebanon, where it competes for the six National
Assembly seats reserved for ethnic Armenians.
In Armenia it forms part of opposition bloc. Party member Yeghia
Jerjerian is a member of Lebanese parliament.
The Hunchakian party has established affiliate organizations such as
the AEBU which is an organization that helps with educational, health
and social care, the Armenian Dkhrouhi Youth Association and HMM
(Homenmen) which is a sporting organization (not to be confused with
Homenetmen).