ARMENIA’S FORCES GENERAL STAFF HEAD, GENERALS RESIGN FROM YERKRAPAH VOLUNTEERS UNION
ARKA
Feb 25, 2008
YEREVAN, February 25. /ARKA/. Chief of the General Staff of the RA
Armed Forces, Colonel-General Seiran Ohanian, several major generals
and colonels have resigned from the Union of Yerkrapah (country
defenders) Volunteers, the RA Defense Ministry’s press service reports.
According to the Ministry’s official statement, "during the February
19 presidential election some YVU members violated the regulations
of the organization and launched improper activity which stains the
union and hampers consolidation and development of the Armenian state
system. They are used for an immoral political game, and the Union
Chair does not do anything to prevent this all."
"Following our duty before the Homeland and our nation we break off
our membership in the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union," the statement says.
Chair of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces Colonel-General
Seiran Ohanian, major generals Arshaluis Paytyan, Haykaz Baghramian,
levon Yeranosian, Kamo Aghajanian, Samvel Karapetian, as well as
colonels Koryun Yeghiazarian, Murad Abrahamian, Felix Poghosian, Arthur
Grigorian, Poghos Poghosian, Samvel Hovsepian, Seiran Hayrapetyan
and Nerses Yegoyan have signed the document.
Established in 1993, the Union of Yerkrapah Volunteers (Yerkrapah
Kamavors) has over 10, 000 members. RA Deputy Defense Minister Manvel
Grigorian is the Chairman of the Union. The organization unites the
supporters of the ex-Defense Minister of Armenia, slain Prime-Minister
Vazgen Sargsian.
RA President Robert Kocharian met on February 24 with the Supreme
Command Staff of the RA Armed Forces, leaders of the National Security
Service and RA Police. The participants to the meeting discussed
the current political situation in Armenia. Kocharian considered the
activities of the opposition as an attempt to seize political power
in Armenia. He stated that in case of emergency, the country’s law
enforcement bodies are charged to counteract.
Since February 20 rallies, sit-ins and student walkouts have been
held by the opposition in the center of Yerevan. The initiators and
participants of the opposition actions protest against the results
of the February 19 presidential elections published by the Central
Electoral Commission.
According to the results, the current Prime-Minister Serge Sargsian
won the elections with 52.86%. According to the Central Electoral
Commission, opposition candidate Ter-Petrosian obtained 21.5% of
the votes.