SERZH SARKISYAN READY FOR DIALOG WITH EX-PRESIDENT IF THE LATTER CHANGES HIS ATTITUDE

Regnum
March 14 2008
Russia

"I will change my attitudes if Levon Ter-Petrosyan changes his,"
the newly elected president of Armenia, acting prime minister
Serzh Sarkisyan has stated while commenting on the possibility of
establishing dialog with the opposition headed by ex-president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan.

Answering Armenian citizens’ questions on TV live broadcast on
March 13, the prime minister has stated that he has never been
against dialog, especially if a dialog is personally addressed. "If
Levon Ter-Petrosyan continues to repeat that he is a president who
has received 65% of votes, fails to admit the Constitutional Court
decision, and speak of me as a bandit, Mongol-Tatar, then what dialog
are we talking about?" Sarkisyan stressed that as early as on March
2, the authorities started to negotiate with all forces willing to
establish dialog.

Earlier, president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan stated that a chance
to establish dialog was missed, of which he blamed opposition.

Kocharyan’s press secretary also said that he did not see a way
to establish dialog. At the same time, a number of international
organizations, the EU and the USA have called for dialog between the
authorities and opposition for the sake of maintaining security and
further development of Armenia.

In the presidential election held in Armenia on February 19, prime
minister Serzh Sarkisyan was elected head of state. According to
official CEC data, he received 52.82% of ballots. Opposition candidate
Ter-Petrosyan followed him with 21.5% of votes.

Radical opposition headed by Levon Ter-Petrosyan organized protest
rallies, demanding that new election be held. On March 1, in a clash
of a protesters with the police, eight people were killed, according
to official data. The riot has been stopped after a state of emergency
was declared in Yerevan.

Constitutional Court of Armenia has confirmed victory of the
governmental candidate Serzh Sarkisyan.