EX-DASHNAK LEADER JOINS OPPOSITION PARTY

Armenialiberty.org
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 20:22

ZharangutyunRFE/RL — A former leading member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) has joined a more radical
opposition party that does not recognize the legitimacy of Armenia’s
current and previous presidents, it emerged on Wednesday.

Ruben Hakobian aligned himself with the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party
nearly two years after being expelled from Dashnaktsutyun following his
public criticism of its activities. He was particularly unhappy with
its decision to cut a power-sharing deal with President Serzh Sarkisian
in the wake of the disputed February 2008 presidential election.

Dashnaktsutyun, which had been allied to Sarkisian’s predecessor
Robert Kocharian throughout his decade-long rule, contested the vote
with its own candidate, who campaigned on an opposition platform. It
subsequently agreed to join a new governing coalition formed by
Sarkisian. The influential party also defended a harsh post-election
government crackdown on supporters of the main opposition candidate,
Levon Ter-Petrosian.

Hakobian, who had joined Dashnaktsutyun in 1990 and was at one point
its top leader in Armenia, denounced this stance as "unprincipled"
and said it only benefited Ter-Petrosian. He also called for the
holding of fresh presidential and parliamentary elections.

Hakobian on Wednesday declined to comment on his decision to
join Zharangutyun, a party bitterly opposed to both Sarkisian and
Kocharian. He said he will explain the move "in the coming days."

According to Stepan Safarian, a senior Zharangutyun member, the
decision "was not made in one day." He told RFE/RL’s Armenian service
that the party and Hakobian have a history of cooperation and share
the same views on key issues facing the country.

Dashnaktsutyun pulled out of the ruling coalition last year in protest
against Sarkisian’s conciliatory policy on Turkey. Unlike Zharangutyun
and Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress (HAK), it has not been
pressing for the president’s resignation and snap elections.