YEREVAN-At what was termed an "extraordinary" congress, the Heritage Party Sunday elected Armenia's first foreign minister and party founder as its chairman, according to a press release issued by the party.

The history of the Armenian people has been an ordeal of suffering, tragedy, and genocide. In this millennial series of misfortunes, however, never has the nation invited destruction upon itself.

In a last-minute U-turn, opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian said on Tuesday that he is withdrawing his unexpected resignation from Armenia's parliament which has sown discord within his Heritage party.

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Raffi Hovannisian, the leader of a major Armenian opposition party, has decided to end his membership in the country's parliament, a senior party source said on Monday.

BY RAFFI K. HOVANNISIAN - Today's Turkey is the denialist bearer of the Ottoman execution of the great genocide and national dispossession of the Armenian people nearly a century ago.