OPPOSITION PROMISES TO BE CONSISTENT IN ITS FIGHT

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Prior to starting an opposition rally
at Freedom Square on May 18, those present observed a one-minute
silence in memory of the Great Armenian opera singer Gohar Gasparian.

During the rally, parts from the 2003 interview of Gohar Gasparian were
quoted, particularly, her calls for the opposition not to retreat,
"To retreat means to commit a suicide, today my only advice to the
people is not to be afraid of provincialism that wants to bring the
nation with a thousand-year-long history and culture to its knees,"
Gohar Gasparian said in 2003.

Leader of "Impeachment" bloc Nicol Pashinian said that the opposition
is not going to tolerate the current situation in Armenia: "The
election results were rigged, and our demand is to recognize these
results as invalid and convene re-elections, we’ll be consistent in
our fight and demonstrate a political will," Pashinian stated.

He underlined that the opposition’s struggle is not the struggle to
be taken as one step: "We’ll not stop until we reach our goal. The
movement will be national, and rallies represent only one component
of this movement."

Particularly, representative of the "Orinats Yerkir" party Heghine
Bisharian, leaders of "New Times" and "Republic" parties Aram
Karapetian and Aram Sargsian, and chairman of the People’s Party of
Armenia Stepan Demirchian made speeches at the rally. It was announced
that the opposition envisages to carry out the respective work with
observers and various classes of the society.