Vardan Khachatryan, an evictee from the Heritage party, was two days ago dismissed from the Social-Democratic Henchak Party, which he had joined two weeks ago.
Let us remember that on its September 9 night session the Heritage party considered the functioning of Vardan Khachatryan as a party secretary “insufficient.” He was accused of fragmenting the party and constantly violating the inter-party discipline. On October 31 in its special session the SDHP with the majority of votes decided to cease the membership of Khachatryan within the party, who had been a member for only 1 week. According to the bylaw of the party “any former member of a nationalist party of Armenia can become a member of the SDHP only in one year from the time of deflecting from the previous party.” The spokesman of the same party Narek Galstyan adverted to this issue yesterday. According to the words of the latter only the central bureau of the SDHP is liable to determine this matter. “The issue of dismissing Khachatryan was moved to the agenda of the party’s central bureau. At this moment he is a member of the SDHP. Most probably, the central headquarters, which is headed by representatives of 22 countries of Henchak party, will appeal this verdict and Khachatryan will remain a member of the party,” stated Galstyan. The latter’s statement was followed by the statements of another three members of the party Albert Gabrielyan, Alexander Alekyan and Edik Petrosyan. “We are stating that the spokesperson of the SDHP party Narek Galstyan by violating the bylaw of the party on November 2 spread misinformation. We as members of the SDHP party central bureau, declare that Khachatryan has ceased to be a member of the party since October 31 of the current year. Nobody has the authority to annul the decision of the central bureau of the party. The SDHP will refer to the issue of membership of Khachatryan in 1 year,” reads their statement. “I am a member of the Henchak party and am complying with the orders and instructions of the leadership of the SDHP. If the leadership of the party ever wants me to become a choreographer I will do so,” this is how construed their statement Narek Galstyan. Yesterday we also spoke to the chairwoman of the SDHP Lyudmilla Sargsyan. “You be serious only about the statements made by the central bureau of the Armenian headquarters of the SDHP. I’d ask you not to mention Narek’s name. He doesn’t have the right to make any statements on behalf of the bureau,” during a phone conversation with us mentioned Lyudmilla Sargsyan. Thus, the contradictions, which the media was adverting to recently, are becoming more and more evident. Let us remember that months ago there were publications that the party is thinking of dismissing the chairperson of the SDHP L. Sargsyan. “I don’t think that it is right to bring up such formulations. This is a mere inter-party process. We will come to an agreement and I think we are a healthy structure and there will be no problem,” disagreed L. Sargsyan. In her words, only a bylaw omission was corrected. And another member of the SDHP central bureau Vahan Shirkhanyan during the conversation with us, mentioned that the bylaw of the party allows an individual approach to the matter of membership. According to him, Khachatryan became a member as a result of applying such an approach. His membership was recommended by the head of the central bureau of the SDHP Sedrak Atchemyan and another SDHP central bureau member. It means that the former member of the Heritage was brought to the SDHP with the personal recommendation of the central bureau head of the SDHP. “After the swearing ceremony Khachatryan has become a SDHP member. Therefore, there is no bylaw violation here,” insists Shirkhanyan.
History repeating
Let us recall that only 1.5 months ago the Heritage party was almost in the same state. Here as well during their night session they had decided to dismiss six of their members, three of who Vardan Khachatryan, Zoya Tadevosyan and Movses Aristakesyan were members of the party board. As a reason of the fragmentation of the Heritage as well as the SDHP was the assumption of cooperation of certain party members with the ANC. Officially the SDHP is a member of the ANC and it shouldn’t have been a matter and such conversations shouldn’t have been circulated. However, as the ones, ousted from the Heritage and L. Sargsyan from the SDHP are being blamed in cooperating with the Congress in the event of the fact that the SDHP is a member of the ANC. There is an opinion that the processes taking place within these two parties are being directed by the government. There have already been publications that Khachatryan was sent to the SDHP in order to fragment the Armenian branch of the party. He was supposed to gather people, with the help of whom he’d be able to impeach L. Sargsyan from the post of the party chairwoman. Besides that, there is also a viewpoint that the government wishes to establish am alternative opposition to the ANC from among the traditional parties of Armenia – the ARF, SDHP and HRAK. The Heritage is not out of this project either; the cleansing of the members of which had already been completed and the process was moved to the SDHP. The HRAK is not an opposition force but the government has other intentions connected with the latter. Several years ago this party joined Samvel Babayan’s Alliance and some members, who were born from Albert Bazeyan’s National Renaissance party. But this union didn’t work out. So far the ARF has not been fragmented despite the fact that people periodically leave this party. According to certain information the chairman of the SDHP Sedrak Atchemyan was for the idea of uniting with some other parties. But this cooperation didn’t work out as L. Sargsyan was against that. As of the situation prevailing in the SDHP then Shirkhanyan advises to wait for the CEC decision. By the way, it is also interesting to advert to the membership of the former deputy-minister of defense V. Shirkhanyan to the SDHP. He became a member of the SDHP on March 2 of 2008, which was right after the deadly clashes of March 1. He first was an average member of the party and a representative of the central body in the Armenian branch. A month ago during the SDHP congress in Armenia Shirkhanyan was elected member of the central body. There are rumors that Shirkhanyan personally wishes to become the chairman of the Armenian branch of the party and in this regard it becomes quite understandable why the viewpoint of Shirkhanyan contradicts the words of the incumbent chair of the SDHP. There is another interesting fact as well. The names of both Shirkhanyan and Khachatryan are connected with the coordinator of the socialistic forces Ashot Manucharyan. The latter has close relations with Khachatryan and Shirkhanyan. It means that many people connected the current processes within the SDHP with Ashot Manucharyan, who has a reputation of an “advocate of shady affairs.” And if Khachatryan ends up staying in the SDHP then we may fix that at least the first phase of fragmenting the SDHP has been successful. Let us also add that in one or two months, post probably in January of the next year, the SDHP will summon its congress in Armenia, during which a new bureau will be elected. And the new bureau will elect a new chair. Does Sargsyan have enough supporters to be elected new chair for the party? This is unknown yet. Prior to this they will determine whether Khachatryan is staying in the party or not. By the way, the latter’s phone was unavailable all the time yesterday. So, most probably this information will be clarified today.