Two Parties with the Same Name? Social Democrat Hunchukian Party Protests, Charges Fraud

The Social Democrat Hunchukian Party (SDHP) yesterday received an undated letter in which someone by the name of Gevorg Perkuperkyan, identifying himself as the SDHP leader, is demanding the party within three days surrender the party flag, certificate of registration, party seal and all other party-related documents, SDHP leader Lyudmila Sargsyan told reporters in Yerevan today.

“In addition, through various courts they tried to dispute the legitimacy of my chairmanship. Two court rulings affirmed this legitimacy and on Jan. 9, 2010, I was re-elected chair — this was followed by several complaint appeals to the police (these were already after the rulings). They were unable to achieve anything; later they initiated these fabrications, which we found out about yesterday. We’re taken aback that our judicial system, with all its defects and omissions, could come up with such a fabrication,” she said, meaning, how could the judicial system allow another person to register a political party having the exact same name as one that already exists and is registered.

Sargsyan recalled that a year ago there was another attempt to register a political party in SDHP’s name, but which her party blocked at the state registry. Afterwards, a separate Hunchukian Party (slightly different name) was registered, the leader of which is Gevorg Perkuperkyan. It is assumed that this same man is now changing the name of his Hunchukian Party to Social Democrat Hunchukian Party.

“This is the fact: there is a Social Democrat Hunchukian Party registered in Armenia, that’s us, and no one can dispute this — with all the documents, our coat of arms, and our flag registered with the Intellectual Property Agency [of Armenia]. And it’s perplexing on what they’re pinning their hopes, and that the justice system and the state registry thought they can engage in such a secret scheme,” she said.

Lyudmila Sargsyan informed the press that her party yesterday sent a letter to the justice minister, requesting to identify and punish those who are carrying out these schemes.