IN ESTIMATION OF VIKTOR DALAKIAN, LATEST BILL ON RALLIES NOT TO CONTRIBUTE TO RELAXATION OF TENSION CREATED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The amendments in the law on "Holding
of meetings, rallies, marches and demonstrtions" are conditioned
by the end of the term of the state of emergency on March 21 and
by the necessity for showing an adequate attitude towards possible
rallies. This opinion was expressed by MP Viktor Dalakian during the
discussion of the bill in the National Assembly.

According to him, the presented legislative initiative has a distinct
political implication and direction, and, in fact, is a bill on "Not
privileging rallies in Armenia." The MP called the authorities to be
led by the version that they may vecome opposition tomorrow.

Viktor Dalakian mentioned that after the 2008 presidential elections a
new situation has been created in Armenia. "In consequence of the March
1 tragic events the people, the international prestige of the country,
the authorities and the opposition suffered. Both the authorities and
the opposition should realize that they are in the same ship and are
shipping together," he stressed.

According to the MP, in connection with the consequences of the
created situation, they are trying to solve a situation problem,
however, the reasons are not being discussed. He mentioned that
according to the data of the Central Electoral Commission, more than
350 thousand citizens have voted for Levon Ter-Petrosian and there
is an impression that most of them have voted not for the former
President but against the current authorities, thus expressing their
protest. Levon Ter-Petrosian has, all in all, managed to generalize
the discontent existing among people and under these conditions one
should not think about the person, who has made that generalization,
but clarify the reasons of that discontent.

According to Viktor Dalakian, the domestic political complicated
situation created in Armenia can have two solutions: a repressive
solution of the issue, which is a short-term way and a political
solution of the issue, which is more expedient. He mentioned the
statement of the current Prime Minister, according to which those,
who were holding rallies in the Liberty square "are our brothers and
sisters", as well as his suggestion for forming a coalition. The MP
expressed an opinion that both the authorities and the opposition
should go along the way of agreement and that such legislative
initiatives do not contribute to the relaxation of the tension created
in Armenia.