 ARF members Armen Rustumanian (left) and Hrant
Vartanian (right).
One of the oldest Armenian parties, set up in the late 19th century, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation was banned by the Soviet authorities, and again outlawed in 1994 by Armenia's first post-Communist government on charges of terrorism and other legal violations. The controversial ban was lifted by Kocharian immediately after he came to power in 1998. The center-left nationalist party has since stood by the president and been represented in his governments.
The party won approximately 10 percent of the vote in the disputed 2003 elections, which it denounced as fraudulent before agreeing to join the RPA-dominated coalition cabinet as a junior partner. ARF leaders have warned that they will move into opposition to the Kocharian administration if the upcoming elections fail to meet democratic standards.
The party's main levers to influence the electoral process are its close ties with Kocharian, a seat in the election commissions, and de facto ownership of the Yerkir-Media TV station that mainly broadcasts to Yerevan and nearby regions. It will also be helped by the fact that several regional governors and deputy governors are affiliated with the ARF.
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