Armenian Revolutionary Federation

Encyclopedia : A : AR : ARM : Armenian Revolutionary Federation

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President of Armenia
*Robert Kocharian
Prime Minister
*Andranik Markaryan
National Assembly
Political parties
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
See also:
Politics of Nagorno Karabakh

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Constitution
President
*Émile Lahoud
Prime Minister
*Fouad Siniora
*Present government
Parliament
*Speaker
Political parties
Elections
Governorates
Districts
Foreign relations

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) (Armenian: Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutiun Dashnaktsutiun, Dashnak, or Tashnak) is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis (Tbilisi in modern day Georgia) in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian. The party operates among Armenian communities internationally, especially in Armenia and Lebanon, and in the ethnic Armenian-dominated Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, which declared its independence from Azerbaijan in the 1991, where Armenians fought a three year war against Azerbaijan for the independence. The ARF advocates socialism and is a member of the Socialist International, although the implemenation of Socialist policies have not been consistent.The ARF is the largest political party amongst Armenians in the Diaspora.

Contents

1 Origins
2 Modern history

2.1 Armenia
2.2 Nagorno-Karabakh
2.3 Lebanon

3 Goals
4 External links

Origins

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

Foundation: 1890
Head: Hrant Markarian

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation came into being in 1890 through the merging of various factions of Armenian political groups akin to the ones operating in Russia and Eastern Europe at the time. The original aim was for autonomy of the Armenian-populated areas in the Ottoman Empire. The party began to organize itself in Turkey in the early 1890s and held its first major meeting in Georgia in 1892. At that meeting the party adopted a decentralized modus operandi according to which the various chapters in different countries were allowed to plan and implement policies in tune with their local political atmosphere.

In 1915, ARF members were persecuted and killed by the Ottoman Turks because of their leadership roles in the Armenian communities. At the end of WWI executors of the Armenian Genocide were punished.

When the first Republic of Armenia was proclaimed in 1918, the ARF became the ruling party. Despite their tight grip on power, the ARF was unable to stop the impending Communist invasion from the north, which culminated with a Soviet takeover in 1920. The ARF was banned, and many of its members dispersed to other parts of the world. The ARF is considered the foremost organization in the Armenian Diaspora, having established numerous Armenian schools, churches, community centers, scouting and athletic groups, relief societies, youth organizations, camps, and other organizations throughout the world.

Modern history

Armenia

The ARF has always maintained its ideological commitment to "a Free, Independent, and United Armenia." The term United Armenia refers to the borders of Armenia that were recognized by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and outlined in the Treaty of Sèvres.

When independence was achieved in 1991, the ARF soon became one of the major and most active political party, tracing behind the Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM). Consequently, President Levon Ter-Petrossian banned the party, along with Yerkir, the country's largest daily newspaper. The ban on the ARF was lifted, however, after Ter-Petrossian fell from power and was replaced by Robert Kocharian.

Today, the ARF is one of the two parties in the government coalition, along with the Republican Party. The Country of Law party was also a member of the governing coalition, until it pulled out in May of 2006. With 11 of the 131 seats in the National Assembly of Armenia, it is the major socialist party in Armenia and the fourth largest party in parliament.

In addition to its parliamentary seats, the following governmental ministries are also headed by ARF members:

Ministry of Agriculture, Davit Lokian

Ministry of Education and Science, Levon Mkrtchian

Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Aghvan Vardanian

Nagorno-Karabakh

The ARF held 9 of the 33 seats in the National Assembly of Nagorno Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan that was allegedly transferred to Azerbaijan by Joseph Stalin in the 1920s, and became controlled by Armenian forces in the 1990s. It was the second largest party in Nagorno-Karabakh. Even though it is de-facto independent and has been free of Soviet control since the early 1990s, Nagorno-Karabakh republic has yet to be recognized by any country. The ARF was part of an electoral alliance of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Movement 88, that won only 3 out of 33 seats at the 19 June 2005 elections.

Lebanon

Ethnic Armenians are allocated 6 seats in Lebanon's 128-member National Assembly. The Lebanese branch of the ARF has usually controlled a majority of the Armenian vote and won most of the ethnic Armenian seats in the National Assembly. It has generally avoided entanglement in sensitive domestic issues, usually supporting whatever government has happened to be in power.

Prior to the Lebanese Civil War of 1975 to 1990, the party was closely allied to the Phalangist Party of Pierre Gemayel, and generally ran joint tickets with the Phalangists, especially in Beirut constituencies with large Armenian populations. The refusal of the ARF, along with most Armenian groups, to play an active role in the civil war, however, soured relations between the two parties, and the Lebanese Forces (a militia dominated by Phalangists and commanded by Bachir Gemayel, Pierre Gemayel's son) responded by attacking the Armenian quarters of many Lebanese towns.

A major change occurred in the parliamentary election of 2000. Negotiations to form a joint ticket between the ARF and the Dignity Party of Rafik Hariri broke down over Hariri's insistence that all candidates elected on his list, including ARF candidates, would have to form a unified parliamentary block subsequently - a rarity in Lebanese politics. He also refused the ARF proposal to provide the joint candidate for the sole seat allocated to Lebanon's Protestant community (many of whom are ethnically Armenian), insisting that that seat should go to an ally of his. The ARF decided to go it alone, although other Armenian parties joined Hariri's list. In an unprecedented sweep, Dignity and its allies captured 13 of Beirut's 19 seats, and the ARF was left with only one parliamentary seat, its worst result in many decades.

Goals

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation's goals are:

The creation of a Free, Independent, and United Armenia. The borders of United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh, Javakhk, and Nakhichevan.

International condemnation of the as yet unpunished Genocide committed by Turkey against the Armenians, return of the occupied lands, and just reparations to the Armenian nation.

The gathering of worldwide expatriate Armenians on the lands of United Armenia.

Strengthening Armenia's statehood, institutionalization of democracy and the rule of law, securing the people's economic well being, and establishment of social justice.

External links

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