The Armenian national Congress held a rally near the Matenadaran. Even though this rally was organized in the framework of the pre-election campaign for the upcoming mayoral elections, the issues addressed during this rally did not differ much from those of the previous national elections. Specifically, Levon Ter-Petrosyan discussed the issues of Karabakh conflict settlement and Armenian-Turkish relations. “The passion around the fact of giving up on the fact of the Genocide has not come down yet but there have been three very important things since our past rally. These things are very important and we should pay a due attention to them. 1. Due to the pressure on part of the Collective Security Treaty states or by its initiative Armenia surprisingly refused to take part in NATO’s trainings in Georgia. 2. In Karabakh an apparently serious movement started on the top level and by the agreement of the Armenian authorities, and the purpose of this movement is to be recognized as a full party of the conflict, i.e. to recover the status defined by the OSCE summit in Budapest. During the meeting with the Azeri president on May 7, which proceeded in a tense environment, Serzh Sargsyan restricted his policy in relation to the Karabakh conflict settlement…” said Levon Ter-Petrosyan. He explained the potential results of these events and said, “Serzh Sargsyan has two ways out of this deadlock: 1. consolidate the nation, for which he has to immediately release all political prisoners and enter into a dialogue with the ANC and other opposition powers, and in consideration of the political agenda in the country, as well as provide high level of transparent and fair electoral procedures during the upcoming mayoral elections. 2. Confess that they are not able or capable to overcome the issues the country is challenged by, resign with honor and leave politics generally…” Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that their power would participate in the election within this context. “The mayoral election is not a purpose only for us and the purpose is not the high rank position or power itself. If not more, at least our victory will enable to establish a strong counterbalance to the incumbent cleptocratic power in order to resist their violence and keep from future violence, and especially the treason. It will help the national consolidation and strengthening of the state too,” he said.
