IN ESTIMATION OF KHOSROV HAROUTIUNIAN, ONLY OPPOSITION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MARCH 1 EVENTS

Noyan Tapan
April 3, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia has an elected president and
one should take this fact into consideration. This statement was
made by Khosrov Haroutiunian, the Leader of the Cristian Democratic
Union of Armenia, at the press conference, which was held on April
3. In his words, the February 19 elections differed from all the
previous elections in the rivalry of political leaders, as well
as the impressive participation of electors and a small number of
falsifications. And after the elections, in the observation of Khosrov
Haroutiunian, the main political achievement was that newly-elect
President Serge Sargsian turned to the other forces with a suggestion
for cooperation.

Touching upon the March 1 events, the Leader of the Christian
Democratic Union of Armenia declared that he condemns the line of
conduct of the radical opposition, which brought forth a deadlock and
clashes. According to him, only opposition is responsible for what has
happened. Mentioning that rumours reached him during the nine days
of the sit-down strike ("even the court guard told me about it"),
according to which those gathered in the Liberty square were arming
themselves with wooden and metal cudgels, Khosrov Haroutiunian stated
that "an armed crowd is no longer peaceful demonstrators."

He added that living in the vicinity of the Liberty square he witnessed
the clash between the police and the demonstrators on March 1 early
morning and saw "young man with cudgels running away, as well as
demonstrators hitting at the shields of policemen to frighten them."
From: Baghdasarian