Dashnaktsutyun hits the coalition

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, or Dashnaktsutyun, said it was leaving the coalition government in Yerevan because of "insurmountable disagreements" over the signing of a deal with Turkey on a "road map" for establishing diplomatic relations. The party condemned the agreement as "unacceptable," according to a report by the AFP.

Armen Rustamyan, one of the leading members of the party said at a press conference yesterday that the decision to leave the government was taken by consensus of all the party members. Talking about the meetings to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia, Rustamyan said: “Turkey holds preconditions for Armenia. If there is a country to put precondition, it is not Turkey but Armenia. These preconditions will be a major headache for Armenia in the future.”

In the party’s statement it said it could not remain in a government that was prepared to reach a deal with Ankara before Turkey recognized World War I-era massacres of Armenians as genocide. "It has always been our conviction that one of the main directions of the state's national security strategy is the universal recognition and condemnation, especially by Turkey, of the Armenian genocide," the party said.

All its officials would resign from all government posts and the party would become part of the opposition, said the statement.
Dashnaktsutyun, Armenia's oldest political party and one of its most influential, has 16 seats in the 131-seat parliament and three ministers in the Armenian cabinet.

Although its departure from the ruling coalition will not affect the government's ability to rule, analysts said it nevertheless marked a major symbolic blow, according to the AFP report.

The statement by Armenia and Turkey that the two sides have agreed on a raod map to normalize relations have led to reactions in Armenia. Dashnaksutyun’s bureau chief for political affairs Kiro Manoyan had said Dashnaksutyun considered itself deceived because it was not informed about the agreement with Turkey.

Although some elements of the road map were disclosed by the Turkish press, Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokeperson Dikran Balayan had often accused the Turkish press of misinforming the public. “We have not signed a document with Turkey,” he said. President Serge Sarkisian on the other hand had said the road map that was signed has been received with appreciation by the international community. “This road map is a major success for us. We will share the substance of the road map with our people in a few days,” he had said.