Armenian lawmaker says government can solve the problems facing this ex-Soviet republic
AP Online
May 21, 2004
A top pro-government lawmaker on Friday insisted that only the ruling
coalition can solve the many problems facing this impoverished
ex-Soviet republic, while the opposition gathered about 6,000
supporters in the capital to call for President Robert Koncharian’s
resignation.
“We are confident in our ability to solve the problems standing before
Armenia,” said Vaan Ovannisian, the vice-speaker of the Armenian
parliament. “The opposition believes that they are the only ones
who can correctly … solve these problems. But they will never be
able to.”
Armenia’s opposition parties resumed their campaign of demonstrations
last week after talks with pro-government figures broke down.
An estimated 6,000 people gathered for a protest rally in the Armenian
capital, Yerevan, on Friday. It was the latest in a series of massive
gatherings that began in early spring. Another rally continued outside
the General Prosecutor’s Office calling for the release of what the
opposition says are at least 13 political prisoners.
Opposition leaders and top pro-government politicians in parliament had
been holding talks on the tensions, but the discussions dissolved in
disagreement over what topics to place on the talks’ agenda. Ovannisian
said that authorities will never agree to the demand that Koncharian
resign.
“The opposition has backed themselves into a corner from which it is
very hard to get out,” he said. “Now they are trying to expand the
crisis to include the whole republic.”
Meanwhile, the opposition Justice bloc criticized Armenian authorities
for failing to respect a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe, which called for freeing those who were jailed
during previous rallies
Kocharian won a second term in presidential elections a year ago that
sparked mass protests. Opposition groups alleged widespread violations
in both rounds of the election.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress