Yesterday’s rally of the Armenian National Congress proceeded in a quite tense environment. It also looked promising in terms of taking sharp steps in the near future. At any rate, it was expected that it would proceed like that because the dialog started with the government two months ago didn’t give any productive results.
Moreover, ANC gained another activist in the prison and lost a few more months. ANC coordinator Levon Zurabyan yesterday mentioned that the government took a few compromises because of the opposition pressure in spring. And the attitude of the government during the recent period indicated that they might take the path of formation of legitimate government in Armenia. And the Congress appeased the tension because they agreed to start a dialog. Levon Zurabyan recalled that the authorities are running out of the time that the ANC gave them to solve the political crisis in reasonable timeframes and they have to make a decision by the end of September. "We told them that their deadline is the end of September and early October and that that is when there will be a serious turning point in our political life. We are keeping our promises and today’s rally will show that we are moving quickly in that direction," said Zurabyan. According to him, snap elections are the only way to establish legitimate government in the country. He also didn’t rule out that today’s rally may be very unpredictable. In response to whether there would be a sitting strike or a sharp move, Zurabyan said anything was possible. "All it takes for citizens of Armenia to reinstate constitutional order and people’s liberties and demolish the oligarchic regime is to show up to the rallies like soldiers." Let us remember that one the first days of the dialog ANC representatives were stating that if the incumbent government voluntarily doesn’t agree to their main demand of holding snap elections then in September they will start an active struggle in September and a series of mass protests.
And so this demand was once again refreshed and reiterated by the Congress leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan. We will not stop with the release of political prisoners and the liberation of Freedom Square. The struggle for real democracy is just beginning," said Levon Zurabyan, after which the people began to scream "Fight, Fight, until the End." Levon Zurabyan also informed that the authorities aren’t assessing the situation correctly, but they had been able to perceive the danger and make "concessions" in March, that is, dialogue. Zurabyan also noted that the international community is closely following up on the developments taking place in Armenia. Yesterday in the Liberty Square more people have gathered then in the previous rallies. The intention and statements of the ANC to launch a more radical and determined struggle against the incumbent government created more interest and hope among people. From the conversations of the gathered people it would become clear that even the slightest hope could create trust among them. They were hopeful that some positive changes would take place in Armenia. At any rate, ANC representatives decided a promising struggle in their statements. “We have decided that Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan with the imbecile oligarchs should return every single penny to they stole from the people to the society,” stated editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper Nicol Pashinyan, who was moderating yesterday’s rally. At yesterday’s rally they once again mentioned that the government and the gangster state have started to crack and the latter is widening. In order to prove that ANM Board chair Aram Manukyan showed a sack of tickets of the RPA. The owners of these tickets refused those. He mentioned that after the previous rally when Levon Ter-Petrosyan announced about "Sksela" (It Has Started), members of the Republican Party have been visiting the Armenian National Congress’s office and have been handing their tickets. And these tickets were signed by the former Prime Ministers Andranik Manukyan and Serzh Sargsyan. “The government is cracked and the crack will go even deeper,” stated Manukyan. By the way, during the rally famous woman named Parandzev, who lost his son at the NKR war and who always participates in ANC rallies, burned the pictures of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. During the rally they also adverted to the last resolution of the PACE Monitoring Committee, which highlighted that “the March 1 page can be considered closed.” The mother of Tigran Arakelyan Alla Khachatryan stated that the March 1 page cannot be closed as long as each one of the culprits is not punished. “But how can the culprit turn himself in?” asks the mother of the killed victim. "We’re not the ones who hurt the people. We must show our treatment," announced chairman of the political council of "Republic" Party Aram Sargsyan. Sargsyan today touched upon the festivities dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence and the authorities’ behavior, mentioning that it seemed as though they had become friendly and were calling on everyone to love each other. "It was all phony. They were holding everyone participating in the parade and telling them "You are Armenia.” According to Aram Sargsyan, the military parade was well organized and the Armenian soldiers marched well. “The arms and ammunition were good because they are ours. They were better than those of Azerbaijan, even though one country sold them to two," said Sargsyan. Touching upon the current state of the country, he mentioned that if the government spends money correctly, it will be possible to renovate culture homes and distribute textbooks and notebooks to schools at no cost. "We are the opposition. What’s good is good, what’s bad is bad," said Aram Sargsyan in closing. "It is already clear that we will reach free and fair elections not through dialogue, but through pressure of the society," announced leader of the People’s Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan. "Fair elections must be imposed. I am sure that our struggling citizens will win in the fight for freedom," said Demirchyan. He also mentioned that thousands of citizens have left and continue to leave the country due to the government’s disgraceful policies. "Now the authorities have come up with a new thesis for international organizations, saying that the opposition is the one that doesn’t accept the results of elections, not the people. In reality, we know very well that no opposition can organize powerful protests like the ones that took place in February 2008 if the people don’t cause uproar," said Demirchyan. At the end of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech he presented 8 demands to the government, two out of which related to the conduct of snap elections and including their recommendations in the election code prior to elections. In his words the most difficult thing for the government is to comply with the last two demands. “It is clear that meeting the first two demands is harder. So, we deem it necessary to declare that we are not maximalist and that we are ready to treat the authorities’ reasonable mutual concession seriously. As I had mentioned in my previous speech, there will be a serious turning point or a final specification in the issue of overcoming the political crisis in Armenia in September-October, and you will see that during our next rally to be held on September 30.”
By Armineh Avetyan