Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) Party: Personality-Driven
The Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) Party was founded in 1998 and depends largely on the energy and charisma of its 38-year-old leader, Artur Baghdasarian, a lawyer by training and long-time parliamentarian It entered the government in 2003, with 19 deputies in parliament, and Baghdasarian was named parliamentary speaker. The party held the ministries of culture, urban development and education and science. Three years later, Orinats Yerkir left Armenia's ruling coalition after reportedly falling out with the country's leadership over his calls for Armenia to move away from its strategic ties with Russia and closer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.
Several prominent members - among them, influential businesspeople - have since left Orinats Yerkir, putting the party in an arguably weaker position. Nevertheless, at the most recent party congress in March 2007, Orinats Yerkir claimed a membership of 100,000.
Orinats Yerkir is frequently described as a populist party, and is seen as Western-oriented. It names the creation of a rule-of-law-based society as its main goal.
In late April 2007, the party made headlines after the publication of secretly recorded excerpts of a conversation between Baghdasarian and a senior British diplomat in which the party leader alleged that the Republican Party had planned widescale fraud, and urged the European Union to criticize the government for the election's conduct. President Kocharian termed the remarks "treason" and stated that those who voted for Country of Law would be without "patriotism and national dignity." The party has dismissed the criticism as politically motivated.
Elections Presence: 120 individuals on the party list for election by proportional voting; 15 individual candidates in first-past-the-post districts.
Slogan: NA
Website: http:// www.oek.am
Address: 43 Abovian St., Yerevan
Tel:(374-10) 56-99-69
Pro-Government:
Republican Party of Armenia
Prosperous Armenia Party
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
United Labor Party
Opposition:
Country of Law Party
People's Party of Armenia
National Unity Party
Republic Party
Heritage Party
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav030807b.shtml
Coalition Breaks Up, But Government Remains Stable (2006)
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav052206.shtml
Armenian Speaker at Odds with Government Over NATO Membership (2006)
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav050506.shtml
Armenians Voting in Tense Constitutional Referendum: RFE/RL Partner Post (2005)
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/pp112705.shtml
Armenian Leader Unites Top Allies in New Coalition Government (2003)
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav061303a.shtml
