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Armenian Revolutionary Federation

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) (Armenian: Hai Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun, Dashnak) is the major socialist political party in Armenia. It is the fourth largest in the Armenian National Assembly and has 11 of 131 seats, obtained on 11.4% of the vote. It is currently led by Vahan Hovhannisian . Along with holding seats in the Armenian Parliament, the ARF ranks second (with 9 of 33 seats) in the National Assembly of the de facto Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, a historically Armenian province that was arbitrarily granted to Azerbaijan by Joseph Stalin in the 1920s and liberated by Armenian forces in the 1990s.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation was formed in 1890 in Tbilisi as a merger of the major revolutionary groups in Turkish and Russian occupied Armenia, which were advocating for the betterment of social and economic conditions for Armenians. The party's ideological foundations are rooted in Socialism and patriotism. During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, ARF members were among the first to be openly persecuted and massacred by the Ottoman Turks because of their leadership roles in the Armenian communities.

When the first Republic of Armenia was proclaimed in 1918, the ARF became the ruling party. Even though they had a tight grip on power, the ARF was unable to stop the impending communist invasion from the north, which climaxed with a Soviet takeover in 1921. 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.

The ARF has always maintained an ideology that emphasizes 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 Sevres.

When independence was achieved in 1991, the ARF soon became the second strongest party behind the Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM), a neo-conservative organization highly influenced by foreign powers. Soon, the ARF was banned by the PANM-led government, because it was the only opposition force in the country with enough power to challenge the corruption that had taken hold after Armenian independence. With the resignation of PANM founder Levon Ter-Petrossian, the first president of the independent Republic of Armenia, new president, Robert Kocharian, reinstated the ARF's political party status.

Today, the ARF is one of the three parties in the government coalition. The two other parties are the Republican Party of Armenia and the Country of Law party. The ARF is a full-member of the Socialist International.

See also: Politics of Armenia, List of political parties in Armenia, List of political parties in Nagorno Karabakh.

External link

  • Official website http://www.arfd.am/


Last updated: 05-03-2005 02:30:17