Levon Ter-Petrosyan: Hnchak party has essentially contributed to ANC's formation

January 9, 2010 - 17:22 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
Leader of Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrosyan delivered a speech during the 7th session of Social-Democrat Hnchak Party.

Highly appreciating the party's role, Armenia's ex-President said, "I am quite familiar with the history of establishing Hnchak Party in Armenia and can definitely say that as a political force it gained popularity among Armenians over the recent two years. It has essentially contributed tgo the formation of ANC," he noted.

According to Mr. Ter-Petrosyan, " The opposition's weakening is possible only in case the authorities' efforts prove successful, but over the past two years the country only experienced defeats and failures."

Touching on the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, Mr. Ter-Petrosyan approved the party's negative stance on the process.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan

Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the first President of Armenia (1988-1998). Starting from February 1988, he headed Karabakh committee. From December 1988 till May 1998, he was arrested together with other committee members.

In November 1989, Levon Ter-Petrosyan was elected as member of Pan-Armenian National Movement's governing board, and subsequently became its Chairperson (August 27, 1989). He was later elected to ASSR Supreme Council and held the Speaker's post in 1990-91.

Ter-Petrosyan was elected as Armenia's first President on October 16, 1991 and was subsequently re-elected in 1996.

In 1998 he resigned from post because of disagreements over Karabakh issue, In 2008, Ter-Petrosyan ran for presidency again, but was defeated by the country's current leader Serzh Sargsyan. He is the founder and leader of Armenian National Congress, the central pro-opposition force in Armenia.

The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party

The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party is one of the oldest political parties in Armenia and the first Socialist party in the Ottoman Empire and in Persia in the 1880s. It was founded in 1887 by Avetis Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Ruben Khan-Azat and others, who studied in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation movement Its name, taken from its newspaper Hunchak, means "Bell" in English, and is taken by party members to represent "awakening, enlightenment, and freedom."

Hunchak party fought many battles against the Ottoman Empire, to free the Armenian people from Turkish rule. One of Armenia's famous national heroes Andranik Ozanian, at first, joined the Hunchak party, but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak ranks and join the Dashnak party.

The party also played role in establishment of Democratic Republic of Armenia, as party members took part in the Battle of Sardarapat, during the World War I at Caucasus Campaign, which defended the Armenian capital of Yerevan from Army of Islam of Ottoman Empire.

In the early 1990s, it took part in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

This party is operates branches in United States, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Armenia, Egypt, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Cyprus etc.

It was also active in Lebanon, where it competes for the six National Assembly seats reserved for ethnic Armenians.
In Armenia it forms part of opposition bloc. Party member Yeghia Jerjerian is a member of Lebanese parliament.

The Hunchakian party has established affiliate organizations such as the AEBU which is an organization that helps with educational, health and social care, the Armenian Dkhrouhi Youth Association and HMM (Homenmen) which is a sporting organization (not to be confused with Homenetmen).