YEREVAN (A.W.)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) signed a memorandum on the formation of a political coalition on May 11. The memorandum was signed by ARF Supreme Council representative Aghvan Vardanyan and RPA Deputy Chair Armen Ashotyan.
“There are three core values set out as the basis of our cooperation. The overall security of Armenia and Artsakh, the economy and economic development, and our common resolve to make qualitative, fundamental changes in the country, said Vardanyan during a press conference held after the signing ceremony. According to Vardanyan, the memorandum will be in force until 2022.
The signing ceremony was attended by Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, ARF Bureau representative Hrant Markarian, and other high-ranking members of the two parties.
Negotiations between the two parties began soon after the results of the April 2 Parliamentary Elections were announced, in which four political parties and blocs—the RPA, the Tsarukyan bloc, the Yelk bloc, and the ARF—garnered enough votes to be represented in Parliament.
After months of negotiations, the ARF and the RPA signed a “Political Cooperation Agreement” on Feb. 24, 2016, at the Armenian presidential palace in Yerevan
In the 2017 Parliamentary Elections, the RPA won 58 seats while the ARF won seven. The ARF is represented in Prime Minister Karapetian’s current cabinet by three ministers in line with the Feb. 2016 cooperation.
The ARF have again shaken hands with the devil by horrifically and proudly partnering with the RPA’s work to steal money, human rights and elections from all good citizens of Armenia. Their blatant counter-productive enabling of the unsustainable criminal mafia regime is noticed by angry Armenians worldwide, and they will be held accountable for their criminal complicity when the regime collapses.
The only people who benefit from this are the oligarchs and Serge.
The main countries that benefit from this are Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The ARF obviously believes that they can optimize their influence from the inside. We what
the ARF gets with an “insider” position….ministerial posts, governorships and being “in the room”. But the question remains….”what does Armenia get?” In the absence of a viable opposition the checks and balances are minimal and the maturation process of democracy is constrained. I believe if the ARF is to
become a bigger player in the political landscape , it focus on its natural state… a populist opposition party. I wonder how the western ARF community , which has even very critical of the Sargsyan regime , feels about this announcement.
There is constructive abd destructive criticism on all political activities. Mr. Davidian is of the latter variety. My personal view is that armenians living in the diaspora have no right to interfere in Armenia’s political decisions. Also the ARF organisation in Armenia with the backing of a 125 year experience party are quite knowledgable in their decisions.
Oh, yes, Baron Art K. Hagopian, by all means the Diaspora should just continue to funnel billions of dollars (yes, BILLIONS) into Armenia and Artsakh, but we Diasporans should not open our mouths when large parts of it is siphoned off by corruption and oligarchs.
Where did we Diasporans ever get the silly idea that we have a right to express our opinions about Armenia and Artsakh or “interfere” with their unbelievably honest governments?
People are leaving Armenia in droves to come into the Diaspora? None of our business, I guess.
Let’s welcome them in and just forget how this weakens Armenia’s armed forces and economy.
And when these Hayastantsis come into the Diaspora, do they then, according to you, Art, thereby lose the right to express an opinion about or criticize Armenia and Artsakh?
Brilliant, Art, just brilliant!
In 5 years, Armenia’s population will drop to 2.5 million, poverty will hit 40 to 50 percent(the official figures will still insist it is 30 though), Armenia’s foreign debt which is already 60 percent of the GDP will exceed the 100 percent, international institutions will refuse to pour more money into a hellhole that has no means to return it. Europeans will demand concessions in Artsakh in order to bail them out. Russia will propose some sort of confederation to protect Armenia and save Armenia’s economy putting an end to Armenia’s sovereignty. Oligarchs will sell their last remaining businesses to move to their mansions in Europe and US. Serjik will retire and move with his wife and daughters and his beloved “ambassador” son-in-law to Italy. Dashnaks will sing their patriotic songs and burn more Turkish flags…
Don’t blame Turks or Russians or Iranians. Some nations just don’t deserve a state!
Is there anyone out there who still takes ARF-Armenia seriously?
ARF gets into coalition with RPA in Armenia while some devout ARF leaders/activists in Lebanon criticize the Armenian authorities for corruption and lawlessness and link all that with removing repatriation from agenda……interesting now to see their faces