Armenian opposition set to remove “illegal” authorities – leaders

Noyan Tapan news agency
5 Apr 04

YEREVAN

The opposition is planing to stage a massive protest action in
Yerevan’s Freedom Square at 1600 [1100 gmt] on 9 April. The action
will be aimed at changing power in Armenia, leader of the Justice bloc
Stepan Demirchyan and chairman of the National Unity party Artashes
Gegamyan told a press conference at the National Assembly on 5 April.

The Justice bloc and the National Unity party again confirmed their
resolution to lead the processes aimed at executing a national
requirement, i.e. the removal of the illegal regime, the establishment
of the constitutional order in Armenia and the formation of the legal
authorities, the parties said in a joint statement.

Artashes Gegamyan said the authorities “have completely lost their
heads which can be proven by mass arrests of opposition activists over
the last two days”.

Demirchyan said that the ruling regime was behaving like “a junta” and
aiming to frighten the opposition. However, he believes that the
authorities will achieve the reverse effect and accelerate their own
defeat.

“The regime, which is suffering from a mania for preserving the
authorities at any cost, rejected the well-known decision of the
Constitutional Court on the conduct of a referendum on a vote of
confidence. It wants to settle a score through illegal actions and
violence. There is only one way out, i.e. the regime that has usurped
the power must go,” the joint statement by the opposition said.