Armenian authorities pursue a dual policy towards the ARF

Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian, during the press tele-conference where he made public his resignation, expressed his " hope and belief, that the meetings and contacts I have had during recent months with the leaders and representatives of the various organizations, including (...) the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, (...) will be the first but not the last step towards building accord for our national goals. I do hope such cooperation will continue."

Prime Minister meets with ARF delegation

Armenia's Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian met with an Armenian Revolutionary Federation delegation on Monday, January 13, 1997, while continuing his working visit to the United States.

During the more than hour-long meeting at the Armenian embassy in Washington, the Prime Minister further clarified his recently issued platform, citing some of the steps already taken to realize his program.

The ARF delegation expressed its satisfaction with the Prime Minister's platform specifically highlighting the portion which emphasizes the proper utilization of resources and national harmony in confronting socio-economic problems facing the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Prime Minister, once again, stressed that he welcomed dialogue with all political forces in Armenia and outlined tangible steps already taken in that regard.

The ARF delegation was comprised of Bureau members Garo Armenian and Apo Boghigian, as well as the chairman of the ARF Eastern US Central Committee Vazgen Ayvazian. Armenia's Minister of Trade and Tourism Garnig Nanagoulian and Armenia's ambassador to the US Rouben Shugarian also attended the meeting.

This was the second official meeting between the Prime Minister and the ARF; the first meeting was held in Yerevan, on December 13, 1996.

Foreign Minister meets with ARF leadership

Armenia's Foreign Minister Alexander Arzoumanian, who was on an official visit to the United States, on Tuesday, February 25, 1997, met with Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau members Garo Armenian and Apo Boghigian.

Also present at the meeting, which took place at the Armenian Embassy in Washington, were Armenia's Ambassador to the US Rouben Shugarian, Armenia's Consul General to Los Angeles Armen Baibourtian and foreign ministry press secretary Arsen Gasparian.

During the meeting, Arzoumanian outlined Armenia's foreign policy agenda, specifically emphasizing the importance of national unity for a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The ARF representatives assured the foreign minister that the ARF would continue its unrelenting support and solidarity to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the preservation of their rights.

During his visit to the Middle East, Foreign Minister Arzoumanian held another meeting with representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau. The meeting was held on Friday, March 14, 1997, at the Armenian Embassy in Beirut.

The meeting centered around issues of interest to Armenians such as the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the strengthening of the Armenian state, the improving of Diaspora-homeland relations and establishment of true democratic norms in Armenia.

The ARF representatives reiterated the party's commitment to support and actively take part in the just resolution of the Karabakh conflict and cited corresponding resolutions adopted by the most recent ARF World Congress.

The ARF representatives specified that a coordination of all Armenian resources and activity was imperative for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and other foreign policy concerns.

The meeting was held in a positive atmosphere and hopes were expressed that the dialogue between the party and the authorities, which was initiated by Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian, would continue in the name of Armenia's national interests.

Earlier, in January 1997, during his official visit to Greece, Minister Arzoumanian met with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation leadership of Greece. The meeting, at the request of Arzoumanian, discussed the current political situation in Armenia, as well as issues concerning the Armenian community of Greece. Armenia's Ambassador to Greece, Armand Kirakossian, also attended the meeting. Later, in February 1997, the Armenian Ambassador to Greece visited the Armenian Revolutionary Federation center in Athens. During a reception, a discussion on Armenia, Karabakh and other issues concerning the Greek-Armenian community took place.

ARF application for reinstatement rejected by Justice Ministry

The authorities have left the Armenian Revolutionary Federation no other choice but to fight for its rights on its own, stated ARF Executive Council member Gagik Mkrtchian during a press conference on Friday, March 21, 1997, where he announced that Armenia's Justice Ministry had, once again, rejected the party's application to have it's registration reinstated.

The ARF leaders presented the press with the latest rejection by the Justice Ministry, in which the government stated that the ARF Supreme Assembly, convened last summer, was illegal, thus making it impossible for the Justice Ministry to review the

party's application emanating from changes to its by-laws made by that assembly.

Characterizing the ministry's response as a blatant rejection, Mkrtchian stated that the ARF had done all it could to adhere to government requests, but to no avail. Mkrtchian added that the ARF would no longer appeal to the Prime Minister, President or Justice Ministry.

"We are currently working and have considerable strength; the proof for that were the presidential elections," said Mkrtchian.

The ARF Executive Council of Armenia had filed the application in August 1996; according to Armenian law, the Ministry of Justice had to respond to the application within a month. However, the Ministry of Justice did not respond for almost five months. On January 7 and 8, 1997, representatives of Armenian Justice Ministry met with the representatives of the ARF Executive Council of Armenia.

Armenia's Justice Minister Marat Alexanian said that documents which had been submitted to the Ministry by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Executive Council of Armenia are not sufficient to lift the ban on activities of the party in Armenia.

"We do not oppose the re-opening of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in Armenia, if this is done within the law in effect," Alexanian said after the meeting with ARF Executive Council representatives Rouben Hakobian, Gagik Mktrchian and Roland Sharoyan.

The Justice Minister said, "The party may resume its activities only if it reconsiders the issue of foreign citizens' membership to their party as it is stated in the Armenian Law on `Non Governmental Political Organizations'." The Minister also said that the Ministry cannot suggest any mechanisms for resuming the party's activities. According to the January 13, 1995, decision of the Supreme Court, the Justice Ministry was to suggest mechanism for lifting the suspension, but after the six month period of suspension, the law was changed and making suggestion is now forbidden by Article 5 of the Armenian Constitution.

In response, political representative of the ARF Executive Council of Armenia, Rouben Hakobian, said that the reasons for suspension have already been eliminated by the ARF Supreme Assembly of Armenia and by the amendments in the by-laws.

Hakobian said that the party's representatives had repeatedly applied to the Ministry of Justice in hopes of receiving explanations of how to lift the ban on the ARF's activities in Armenia. "However, we were only told what should not be done, and nobody explained to us what we should do," he stressed.

"Unfortunately, Armenian law includes a mechanism to ban a political party, but lacks a mechanism to reinstate that same banned party," Hakobian said, adding "The ARF,

therefore, must look for a way out of the inconsistencies in Armenian law."

"From the beginning, we were convinced that the banning of the ARF in Armenia was a political act because other parties, with similar structures and memberships,

continue to operate in Armenia," Hakobian said, casting doubt on the Supreme Courts Jan. 13, 1995 decision sanctioning Levon Ter-Petrossian's December 28, 1994 decree to ban the ARF.

The Ministry of Justice's official negative response to the ARF Executive Council's August 11, 1996 letter related to reinstating ARF's registration was received in March 1997.

Building of Azadamard Weekly returned

In early March, 1997, the key to the building of Azadamard Weekly in Yerevan, which was forcibly shut down following the December 28, 1994 presidential decree, was returned to the newspaper's administration and the hold on the property lifted.

Azadamard Weekly is the official publication of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau.

Moushegh Mikaelian, editor-in-chief of Azadamard, told reporters that the motives and reasoning behind the return of the building were not yet clear, and he could not speculate whether this gesture was connected to lifting the ban on ARF activities in Armenia.

Mikaelian also said that they the officers returning the keys advised him not to use the building for republishing the newspaper or any other political activity.

ARF Bureau congratulates Prime Minister Kocharian

The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation congratulated the newly appointed Armenian Prime Minister Robert Kocharian in a letter dispatched to the leader. Below is the translated text of that letter.

Honorable Prime Minister:

We congratulate you on your newly assumed position, for confronting the mammoth difficulties facing Armenia and Karabakh at this critical juncture.

Your important input in the creation and strengthening of Karabakh's statehood, as well as your efforts in the creation of a united national front for the Karabakh question, assures us that you will stop at nothing to implement programs and policies to realize the concept of national unity within the Republic of Armenia. To undertake those projects, you can count on our unconditional support.

ARF Bureau

National Accord Union statement on political trials

A regular working session of the National Accord Union (NAU) chaired by the political representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation "Dashnaktsutiune" (ARF-D) held on Feb. 21 issued a statement regarding the judicial proceedings that are going on and that have just started in Armenia.

The statement regarding the trials of the persons arrested in connection with the September 25 events runs in particular:

"...The started trials are not based on profound and thorough investigation into unprecedented violence, persecutions and other breaches of the Law committed by the authorities during the presidential election and the September 25-26 which followed it. Therefore, these trials can not reveal the actual cause of the above events, their instigators and executors.

Violations of the Criminal and Procedural Codes, illegal court trials based on the testimony extracted through beatings, blackmail and terror became quite usual in Armenia. Such are the "Dro", "Vahan Hovhanessian plus 30" trials and judicial proceedings instituted in connection with September 25 mass disorders.

NAU declarers that the started trials resemble the political reprisals and accelerate internal political tension in the Republic. NAU demands that illegal trials should be stopped and all political prisoners released."

National Accord supports Armenia's EC membership

The National Accord Union, a grouping of opposition parties in Armenia, issued an announcement, outlining its support for Armenia's membership into the Council of Europe.

Below is a translated text of that statement:

The National Accord Union held its regular session on February 12, 1997 at the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Executive Council offices, which was also attended by Scientific-Industrial and Civil Union of Armenia and National Progressive Party of Armenia representatives. The meeting discussed plans for a round table scheduled for February 17, the organization of a public rally marking the February Uprising of 1921, as well as issues related to drafting a constitution and declaration for a proposed extensive grouping of opposition forces.

The National Accord Union's position of Armenia's membership in the Council of Europe was a special topic of discussion.

Outlining the reality that establishment of democracy in Armenia is endangered;

Expressing concern that the current unlawful leadership could utilize Armenias membership in the Council of Europe to create a false sense of democracy and, on the domestic front, take advantage of the people;

Finding it imperative to take measures to establish democracy as a pre-condition for membership in the Council of Europe;

Also emphasizing the importance of Armenia's inclusion in European structures;

The National Accord Union finds positive recent efforts to include Armenia in the Council of Europe, since Armenia's participation in European structures would become a conduit in strengthening of democratic institutions, stabilizing society and respecting human rights.