The greeting speech of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at the 9th Congress of Yerkrapah, the Union of the Karabakh war volunteers, demonstrated that this organization is a strong political force in Armenia and that the President will rely on its support in his pre-election strategy and his reform attempts.

Vazgen Sargsyan, later one of the founders of the national Armenian army that was still under formation after the breakdown of the Soviet Union, created

Union Yerkrapah (Country Keeper in Armenian) in 1992. The organization united fighters who voluntarily arrived in Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh and fought there until the regular armies of Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic were formed. Yerkrapah later became a powerful pro-governmental structure, one of few in the emerging state of Armenia. In 1999, the political wing of Yerkrapah, including Vazgen Sargsyan himself, left the Union and joined the Republican Party which then became a leading political force and has retained this status despite the fact that Sargsyan, then Prime Minister of Armenia, was killed on October 27, 1999, during a terrorist attack in the Armenian parliament.

The remaining part of Yerkrapah has kept its old slogans including “no concessions to Azerbaijan,” “no return of ‘occupied territories’,” and “full support for the formation of the Armenian state, regardless of who currently governs it.” In line with the latter slogan, Yerkrapah has supported all the three Presidents of Armenia and has habitually transferred its support to the successors. It therefore comes as little surprise that the current chairman of Yerkrapah, lieutenant general Manvel Sargsyan, a former truck driver with no relations to either Vazgen Sargsyan or the current President Serzh Sargsyan, between 2002 and 2008 combined his duties in the Union with those of a Deputy Defense Minister.

President Sargsyan, who commanded the Karabakh Army in the early 1990s and was Defense Minister of Armenia in 1993-95 and 1999-2007, knows many of the Union members and is well aware of the strength and influence of the Yerkrapah Union, which held its 9th congress on February 18. Sargsyan’s attentiveness to Yerkrapah’s political importance and reliance on its support was perhaps best illustrated by his greeting words at the congress, which can approximately be translated as: “Folks, it’s good to see you again.” He was the only invited politician and general Manvel Sargsyan said in his speech that his organization would back President Sargsyan. The President repeated all militaristic slogans of the Yerkrapah, thus confirming the organization’s support for him and the Republican Party of Armenia, which is currently the leading force in the parliament, the government and in the Armenia’s local communities.

President Sargsyan also stated that “The country is changing day by day … We have taken the course of Armenia’s comprehensive modernization. Modernization will affect our political and legal structure, our industry, education and science. We have to become a modern nation, which is competitive and is ready to face the challenges of the current times.” Thus, the president obtained formal consent for his reforms from the 35,000-strong Union of war volunteers, reforms which are supported by the European Union under its Eastern Partnership program. These reforms have already started as Armenia is negotiating with the EU about visa facilitation and the country has formal agreements with the EU about negotiating a Deep and Comprehensive Trade Agreement.

At the same time, President Sargsyan fully understands that the formal support of the Yerkrapah Congress will not guarantee full support of his reforms, especially to the extent that they will favor reconciliation with Azerbaijan, which Yerkrapah members consider to be the principal enemy of all Armenians in the world. Moreover, Yerevan’s official propaganda aimed at promoting a national ideology is highly similar to that of Yerkrapah, especially in light of Armenia’s precarious security environment and tense relationship with neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey.

It is obvious that President Sargsyan and his Republican Party will enjoy the support of the influential Yerkrapah organization during the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 6. Several analysts claim that the Yerkrapah Congress was intentionally held before the congresses of Armenia’s political parties, which will take place in March in preparation of the May elections, to once again demonstrate Yerkrapah’s support for Sargsyan.