Armenagan-Democratic Party Stands for Calm, Strength

The ADL patriarch, former editor of various party organs Dr. Nubar Berberian (Boston) delivered a heartfelt message directed to the convention’s participants, while Prof. Arshavir Gundjian, longtime chairman of ADL’s Central Committee, reflected on the situation created within the ADL. He mentioned the finest representatives from the party’s past — Vahan Tekeyan, Arshag Chobanian, Kersam Aharonian, Parounag Tovmasian, Haigashen Ouzounian, Hratchia Setrakian — and then the current individuals who are continuing in the patriotic path of their predecessors — Dr. Nubar Berberian, Yervant Azadian, Hagop Avedikian and others. “During the course of its existence, the ADL has waged a heroic struggle to maintain ties with the Motherland and the Mother See. There are many who have hampered that operation but we have succeeded in maintaining and developing that bond; and history has proved the veracity of that national policy of ours,” Gundjian pointed out.

Again turning to the address of Avedikian, who was elected chairman of the Armenagan-Ramgavar Liberal Party yesterday, mentioned that despite numerous attempts, a fourth political party wasn’t created in the diaspora during the past 90 years; rather, the three traditional parties remained. This demonstrates not only the traditionalist stance of the Diaspora Armenians but also the fact that the political field is saturated and remains so. “As far as the return of our party to the Motherland in the 1990s is concerned, the regeneration of the ADL, the Tekeyan Cultural Association, the Azg newspaper and, subsequently, the Tekeyan Center on Armenia’s soil was the result of utmost enthusiasm, utmost devotion,” he said, recalling that the ADL became one of six political parties to sign the declaration proclaiming Armenia’s independence. He also recalled the fissures in the ADL, starting from one that occurred during the years of the Pan-Armenian National Movement and continuing down to those brought about by different individuals and the party’s defeat in the 2003 parliamentary elections.

“The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, which had the second largest group of deputies in the National Assembly, espoused decidedly oppositionist positions. The ADL was subsequently defeated in the elections of 2003, when it was optimally prepared; it had more than 8,000 members, approximately 80 party structures; it had its offices in various cities, parallel with the central office in Yerevan; and it had waged a marvelous campaign. Probably the reason was that the elections, the electoral college, unfortunately had been rendered into an exchange, a market for financial and economic transactions, for which our party wasn’t ready…Then, taking advantage of the atmosphere of disappointment that followed that defeat, a few rogues took control of the party and the undermining activity began full scale. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they had at least accomplished something. The dissolution spread to all regions, among themselves; they neutralized each other, leaving just one rogue, the most ignorant and the most unmannerly, who continues to disparage the party.” As a result of all that, the Ramgavars did not take part in three successive state elections.

Avedikian came to the forefront of a group of faithful Ramgavars, headed by members of the old guard. On May 20, 2009, he undertook the re-creation of the party in Armenia, calling it the Armenagan-Ramgavar Liberal Party, not only to respect the letter of the corresponding Republic of Armenia’s law, but also to return to the party’s roots. This initiative was warmly received by all the former, deactivated and demoralized veterans; in just three months’ time, the party already has 16-17 chapters in Yerevan and the provinces of Armenia. In explaining the purposes of the unification,  Avedikian pointed out the necessity of modernizing the party’s activity, implementing the institutional practices of contemporary European political parties. He also noted the prospect of establishing the central office here and making the field wide open to the youth.

The convention welcomed the representatives of the coalition parties. While Astghik Gevorkyan, president of the Journalists’ Union, stressed their remarks, one word had remained in her consciousness: unification. That unification is taking place just at the right time, since it is very necessary for our people today, more than ever before, she said.

Vazgen Manukyan, National Democratic Union Party chairman, next addressed the attendees. “You have a great history, you’ve traveled a long road…and you still have a long road to travel. It is characteristic that this development is being pursued at the time when a new state of affairs is beginning between Armenia and Turkey…we are standing before a simple road, and that road demands not only unity, that we not forget our roots, that we pursue those issues that we were pursuing up till now; furthermore, in this new state of affairs, let us benefit from the new advantages provided by this state of affairs and also to confront those issues that we are bound to face. We need not only unity but also new quality,” he said, adding that he knew many of the participants and was confident that those individuals could ensure stature for the party.