The 18th General Assembly of the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party was held during the last weeks of November in Larnaka, Cyprus. 52 delegates representing 12 adherent part regions participated along with the outgoing Central Executive Board.

The assembly proceeded in an atmosphere of Party unity and accord, and reasserted its commitment to exert all its potential on the road to the realization of all the aspirations of the Armenian people.

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Assembly, paying its respects to the countless martyrs of our nation, expressed its gratitude to the hospitable Arab countries and their peoples for aiding the survivors of the Catastrophe. It also saluted all the states of the world that have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, but recorded its criticism of the governments of the USA and Great Britain for their stands, which, based on political considerations, still refuse to accept the reality of the fact of the Genocide.

During its working sessions, the Assembly reviewed the many issues facing the Party on organizational, economic and political fronts, making corresponding resolutions regarding them, which will be implemented by the newly elected Central Executive Board in the coming days.

On the organizational front, the Assembly affirmed that its main aim remains the issue of the final transfer of the Central Executive Board to Armenia. To achieve this goal, it was resolved to henceforth hold the Party’s assemblies in the capital city of Yerevan and within the shortest period of time to establish the Party’s central office there.

The year 2007 marks the 120th anniversary of the first political-revolutionary party born from the bosom of the Armenian people, namely the mother Hunchakian Party. On this occasion it was resolved to commemorate that historic date in Armenia and across the diaspora appropriately and with multifaceted events.

After extensive and thorough debates the Assembly formulated the Party’s positions regarding the various issues faced by the Armenian people and Armenia.

The Assembly defined stances in regards to Armenian-Turkish relations, the Armenian Cause, national preservation, the Artsakh issue, the Javakhk problem, the church crisis, the present situation in Armenia and other issues.

The present stage of Armenian-Turkish relations was considered in-depth. Summarizing the viewpoints expressed by the delegates on the subject of those relations, the Assembly came to the conclusion that on non-official levels that dialogue lead to the recognition of the Genocide and developing the Turkish public opinion in that regard, while the official Armenian-Turkish discussion be conditional on the recognition of the Genocide.

The Assembly reaffirmed the traditional positions of the S. D. Hunchakian Party regarding the Armenian Cause and territorial demands.

As regards the question of Turkey’s membership in the European Union, the Assembly found that it must be conditioned by the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the lifting of the blockade of Armenia and the removal of the invading Turkish army from Cyprus.

As at the previous Assembly, this time too, the S. D. Hunchakian Party considered the principle of the free self-determination of nations the basis for the resolution of the Artsakh question. The S. D. Hunchakian Party considers the unification of Mountainous Gharabagh with Armenia or its acquisition of independent status as appropriate. During negotiations, any land belonging to Armenia can not be subject to deals or exchange, either in the form of area, nor as “passageway” or “route.” Any agreement on the resolution of the Artsakh issue must bear the signature of the legitimate authorities in Artsakh and merit the consent of Artsakh’s residents through plebiscite.

After considering the circumstances of the Javakhk Armenians, the S. D. H. Party’s 18th Assembly concluded that their social, economic, civic and educational demands are just and legitimate. These demands must become a national concern. At this stage, the S. D. H. Party is against the politicization of the social demands of the Javakhk Armenians, finding it severely reckless and dangerous.

After comprehensively discussing its role in the next stage of the history of the Armenian people, the 18th Assembly decided that the building of the Fatherland and congregating around it remain the principle objectives of the Party. For this purpose, more attention will be focused on its national, educational, cultural levers for national preservation and the pursuance of the Armenian Cause, buttressing and expanding their bases.

The Assembly registered that the negative effect within the Armenian polity of the crisis in the Armenian Church, created in the first phase of post-genocide diaspora and reaching its zenith in 1956, still lingers, despite salutary political developments. The Hunchakian Party reasserts its viewpoint, that to better extend their national-spiritual mission, the Armenian religious centers should operate within non-partisan and non-political contexts.

The 18th Assembly naturally focused at length on the existing situation in Armenia. After registering that corruption, economic mafias and distrust in judicial bodies, for the eradication of which the authorities don’t take any serious initiative to ameliorate the prevalent state of affairs and to attain improvement in the political atmosphere, leave their negative influence on social conditions, it underscored the importance of operating in a dissenting stance.

Based on the S. D. H. Party’s socialist and democratic ideology, the Assembly resolved that the establishment of true democracy in Armenia, which is part of its mission, is the most important proposition. The Hunchakian Party believes that it is not possible to achieve economic and social justice in Armenia without democracy, the foundation of which is the peaceful change of authority through free and just elections.

The S. D. H. Party concluded its 18th Assembly with confidence in the future of the Armenian people and Armenia.

18th General Assembly of
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
Larnaka, 2005

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