Democratic Liberal Party (Armenia)
Democratic Liberal Party (Armenia) | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Hakob Avetikyan |
| Founded | 3 June 2012 |
| Headquarters | Yerevan |
| Ideology | Liberalism, Social democracy, Pro-Europeanism and Third Way |
| Colors | yellow |
| Website | |
| None | |
Democratic Liberal Party (Armenia) (in Armenian Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցություն (Հայաստան) pronounced Ramgavar Azatakan Kusaktsutyun (Hayastan) ) is a new political party formed on 3 June 2012 in Republic of Armenia.[1]
On December 1, 2011, Democratic Liberal Party of Armenia and Armenakan-Democratic Liberal Party had signed an initial agreement for launching a unification process between the two parties. The agreement materialized in the organization of general assemblies by the two formation to approve on unification moves.
On 3 June 2012, a joint general constituting assembly was held and union and official declaration of the new party made. Twenty five members were elected as the party's pan-republican Central Committee with Hakob Avetikyan being elected as the general secretary of the party.[2]
The new party Democratic Liberal Party (Armenia) is made up of the result of the merger of two existing (and initially rival) liberal democratic parties:
- Democratic Liberal Party of Armenia (in Armenian Հայաստանի Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցություն (ՀՌԱԿ) ). The party had been established in July 1991 in Armenia after the independence of the new republic. The laws governing establishment of parties in the newly established republic had stipulations regarding political activities by Diasporan political organizations with head offices outside the republic as was the case of the historical ADL, thus the decision to form a distinct Republic of Armenia party as distinct from the pan-Diasporan historical Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL) (in Armenian Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն (ՌԱԿ) ),[2] although the two parties mostly remained allies throughout the period 1991 until 2012, the date of dissolving of the party.
- Armenakan-Democratic Liberal Party (in Armenian Արմենական -Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցություն ) was established in 2009 as a pan-Armenian and pan-Diasporan political party with head office in Armenia, as a splinter group from the historical Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, as a result of deep internal divisions in the party. Armenakan-Democratic Liberal Party had also taken control of some Diapsoran ADL party organs in the Diaspora. The party was considered as a rival grouping to ADL throughout its existence 2009 until the dissolution of the party in 2012.
The two parties declared in their last respective general assemblies held the decision to liquidate their parties and join in forces in the new party. They also declared in their joint meeting held at the Tekeyan Center in Yerevan that the Democratic Liberal Party (Armenia) is the rightful historic continuation of the two earlier parties.
The Democratic Liberal Party (Armenia) also made friendly declarations toward the historical Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL) in the Diaspora for relationship between the two for very close cooperation in the interest of forming a possible global union in the future.
