Yesterday the representatives of both the RA and NKR governments and opposition in the person of Levon Ter-Petrosyan visited the memorial of Sardarapat on the 90th anniversary of the first republic of Armenia and to commemorate the victims of 1918.
The third president of the third republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians Garegin II, RA former president Robert Kocharyan, members of the Government – Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, members of the NKR delegation headed by the president of NKR Bako Sahakyan, the Chairman of the RA NA Tigran Torosyan, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, four members of the coalition, international delegations and ambassadors visited Sardarapat starting from early morning to commemorate the 90 anniversary of the First Republic.
In the beginning of the ceremony a military march was organized in Sardarapat. First the president of the RA greeted gathered people. After air plane march was conducted drawing the triple colored flag of Armenia. The representatives of ten Armenian marzes (regions) prepared Armenian traditional dishes for meeting with the president. Since the morning a concert was organized nearby. State Ensemble of Song and Dance named after Tatul Altunyan, Armenian State Academic song band, Armenian pop stars and dance groups took part in the concert. The country’s leadership laid a wreath at the monument erected in memory of Armenians who were killed defending their country’s independence. The country’s leadership and the guests then visited the Sardarapat Ethnographic Museum and the National-Liberation Museum to see a new exposition of documents and other materials about the first Armenian republic. Let us remind you that the strong gust in Sardarapat caused the death of a 14-year-old girl, the dancer of the Tsisternak ensemble Lusine Hakobyan. During the rehearsal of the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the victory in the battle at Sardarapat the wind destroyed the stage and decors one of which fell on the girl. Lusine was taken to hospital where the doctors fought for her life for several hours but could not save her. “Today by standing here and singing I was wondering how the family of the poor girl feels. I don’t even know what was the right thing to do – to come here and mourn or enjoy the day by the ceremony. I don’t know what to say,” says a singer of the Capella State chorus Anahit.
At about 1:00 p.m. the participants of the Pan-Armenian movement gathered near the monument. They were waiting for the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan to arrive by exclaiming, “free and independent Armenia,” “Levon President,” “Struggle, struggle till the end,” etc. By the way yesterday the police blocked the road to the monument from the village of Sardarapat and the visitors would have to get out their cars and walk to the monument. The visitors also assumed that there was another reason why the police blocked the road – to impede the visit of Ter-Petrosyan and his supporters to the monument. However, Ter-Petrosyan’s car reached the monument. Many of the Armenian officials have already left the monument by the time Ter-Petrosyan arrived, however their official care were still there. Together with the officials the dancing groups left and even the fruit exhibitors. Despite the fact that the show was organized for the public the dancers were gone by the time the actual inflow of visitors started. Only policemen were left at the monument. When Ter-Petrosyan arrived his supporters started to welcome him. Although he didn’t make any statements he socialized with the people and shook hands, welcomed a war veteran from Vanatur Arshaluis Bozinyan. On the way back many of the people escorted Ter-Petrosyan to his car. Yesterday till 3:00 p.m. there was a quite big number of policemen around the monument. And the gorgeous official cars of the ministers of defense and police were still around, which prompted that the owners of the police watchmen were still there. People were saying that the government officials have yet left Sardarapat – they were there to celebrate the holiday in one of the restaurants. Yesterday Ter-Petrosyan was accompanied by political party leaders Aram Z. Sargsyan, Stepan Demirchyan, Lyudmila Sargsyan and many former officials. The oppositionists pledged that there are decisive and that starting from June 20 they will continue their struggle. By the way they were also inviting government representatives to join the movement. “The government is mistaken if it thinks that they had repressed us. We call them to come to the Liberty Square and start the dialog in front of people. That is when we will know the truth. The people must become arbiters and hear the truth. That is when they will realize what people think of the government,” says the chairwoman of the Henchak opposition party Lyudmila Sargsyan. “I think we should do what we are planning to do on June 20. If the government wants to prevent the threat of civil war they should annihilate all the obstacles of holding rallies. Let the people gather and let them come their and talk to people. Let them come and tell how the events of March 1 occurred. They way the society may calm down,” says former deputy-minister of defense Vahan Shirkhanyan. “So far none of the requirements of the PACE resolution 1609 was complied. What the government does is just imitation. It is impossible to government the country with just imitation,” says the deputy-chair of the Democratic Way Party Vardan Grigoryan.