PEOPLE COMMENT ON INDEPENDENCE

Panorama.am
15:58 21/09/06

Armenia is celebrating its 15th anniversary of independence and the
leadership of the country has taken every effort to make the holiday
a real festivity. Various events and concerts are organized at the
communities of Yerevan. At 10.30 p.m. a salute will be fired in
Yerevan and all regional centers.

Tigran Mets Avenue was closed from Agatangeghos and Khanjyan crossroad
for traffic. Dozens of people headed to Republic Square to be present
at the military parade. The square was full of people already in the
morning and it was impossible to watch.

70-year old Hrach Basentsyan complained he cannot see and shared
his impressions from independence saying, "Everything is sold to
Russians. Is this independence?

These officials are independent but we are given only pennies to live
on. How should we live on that?"

Haikaz Grigoryan, a psychiatrist from New Jersey, USA, said, "I am
sorry Armenia is not independent financially. People are in dire
social conditions."

19-years old Sabet Hambarzumyan is more optimistic. In her words,
our republic is a 15-year old teenager.

Little Mary is also happy about the independence.

"Independence is when Armenians are in charge of the republic. It is
when people are happy."