LEVON TER-PETROSYAN’S SUPPORTERS READY FOR DIALOG

Regnum
March 21 2008
Russia

Armenian authorities, having formally canceled the state of emergency
regime, are actually using tactics of perpetuating the state of
emergency. Supporter of ex-president of Armenia Levon Zurabyan has
made the statement at a press conference on March 21.

REGNUM correspondent quotes Zurabyan to note that the country’s
authorities for the last 20 days hurriedly performed a legislative
reform that actually deprives the public of the opportunity to express
protest by means of mass public action in any form.

Zurabyan argues that "the country’s authorities, using civil unrest
that had been spurred by themselves, announced the state of emergency
that aimed solely to perform the authorities’ one-sided pressure on
the Constitutional Court that has admitted Ter-Petrosyan’s lawsuit."

Zurabyan explained that in the situation, the CC was not pressured
by the public protest, which ensured "that a favorable for the
authorities decision was taken." "For this reason, members of our
movement do not recognize the Constitutional Court decision which
was taken under the pressure of authorities," he claimed.

Commenting on the issue of possible negotiations with the authorities,
Zurabyan informed that members of the movement led by the ex-president
are ready for dialog. He questioned, however, the possibility of
dialog, "when one of the sides shakes one hand and hits with another."

According to Zurabyan, presently, a significant number of the movement
adherents are virtually "taken hostages by the law-enforcers,"
"jails are overcrowded with people persecuted for their political
beliefs." "Holding negotiations when most our comrades are in jail
will be regarded as treason". For negotiations to be started, condition
#1 is releasing all the detained, Zurabyan declared.

On the further steps of the opposition, Zurabyan stated that
the movement members are trying to escape aggravation of the
situation and bloodshed. He promised that no unsanctioned protest
actions will be organized. However, he complained that the movement
members and other organizations, connected or not to the movement,
have numerously applied to the capital’s municipal service to get
sanctions for rallies on March 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, but neither one
was sanctioned. "Although everything is clear enough to us already,
we will continue applying to agencies concerned. If the situation
does not change, we will take another decision."

According to Zurabyan, Armenian public is experiencing a national
awakening, and will not put up with the despotic regime of the acting
authorities. "The acting authorities will fall very soon," Zurabyan
proclaimed, forecasting that the society itself will "struggle against
the dictatorship" by means of various actions, demonstrations, and
civil disobedience.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress