YEREVAN (A.W.)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Council of Armenia announced today that former ARF Member of Parliament Aghvan Vardanyan has been dismissed from the party.
The announcement comes a day after Vardanyan officially resigned from his parliamentary post, following the ARF Supreme Council’s call for his resignation on May 1.
In his address to Armenia’s National Assembly on Tuesday, Vardanyan said that he would not vote for the sole candidate for prime minister—the “Yelk” faction’s Nikol Pashinyan—even though the ARF had announced that it would be supporting the opposition leader’s candidacy.
Vardanyan noted in his address that he is willing to step down from his parliamentary post for stepping out of party line.
“The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia announces that ARF parliamentary faction member Aghvan Vardanyan’s decision was a personal one, which is not in line with the ARF’s official stance,” read a part of the announcement released by the Supreme Council shortly after Vardanyan’s remarks. “There has been a gross violation of [party] discipline, which will be investigated. Accordingly, the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia calls for Aghvan Vardanyan to step down from his parliamentary post,” the announcement concludes.
Vardanyan is a former member of the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia. He is a former member of the ARF Bureau and the former editor of Armenia’s Yerkir Daily and the ARF’s Droshak organ. He was first elected to Armenia’s Parliament in 1999, and has served as the head of the ARF Parliamentary faction. In 2003, he was appointed and served as the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.
Good riddance, he has been molded in the corrupt government far too long. Obviously he values his personal decisions over that of the ARF political organization , that was created and continues to be, the most supreme defenders of justice for Armenian people. One by one we need to dismantle the 27 years of corruption web in our government . Bravo Tashnagtsutiun.
So,whatever happened to democratic principles and freedom of speech? Just because Mr. Vardanyan refuses to vote for a candidate, and mind you, Pashinyan is the ONLY one ALLOWED to run for that post, you dismiss him from his post? The ARF initially supported Sargsyan and suddenly made a 360 degrees U turn when they saw Sargsyan losing ground. I am a Dashnak, and I support Me. Aghvan Vardanyan.
unfortunately he leaves and still enjoys the riches stolen off the backs of his people https://www.armenianow.com/news/9186/double_deprived_high_ranked_c