Armenia’s ruling coalition says happy to talk to opposition

Armenia’s ruling coalition says happy to talk to opposition

Interfax
May 13 2004

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia’s ruling three-party coalition announced
in a statement on Wednesday that it was open to conducting a dialogue
with the opposition.

The coalition, which holds the majority of seats in parliament,
expressed readiness to discuss a proposal from the opposition to end
“the situation that has taken shape in Armenia after the presidential
elections in 2003.”

The coalition proposed four more items for the dialogue’s agenda –
changing key points in the Armenian constitution, changing the election
law and bringing it into line with international democratic standards,
and taking action against corruption and measures to meet Armenia’s
commitments to the Council of Europe.

Galust Sahakian, parliamentary leader of one of the ruling parties,
the Republican Party, told reporters the coalition’s main task was
“to bring the Armenian opposition back into the political field.”

He said the coalition and opposition would start discussing the
opposition’s proposals on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the opposition plans for Friday the next in its series of
rallies to demand the removal of President Robert Kocharian.

Two opposition parties represented in parliament, Justice and National
Unification, have formed a provisional alliance to work toward a
change of power.