SPEAKING OF 1 MARCH INCIDENTS, ONE SHOULD PROCEED FROM THEIR REASONS, PEOPLE PARTY OF ARMENIA CHAIRMAN SAYS

arminfo
2008-04-04 15:01:00

ArmInfo. ‘Speaking of 1 March incidents in the center of Yerevan, one
should proceed from their reasons>, People Party of Armenia Chairman
Stepan Demirchyan said at National Press Cluib.

He said that the tragic incidents in the area of the Monument for
A. Myasnikyan were provoked by the application of brutal force against
peaceful demonstrators in Liberty Square earlier in the morning that
day. ‘All the rallies and processions were peaceful since February
20. They were necessitated by the fair dissatisfaction of people
with another election rigging. The authorities try to speak of some
technologies applied by the opposition, whereas people voluntarily
took to the streets. Now, the regime pushes a groundless opinion that
we want to hold new rallies to provoke conflict’, S. Demirchyan said.

Asked about the responsibility of opposition parties for the tragic
incidents of 1 March, the politician said that the authorities
constantly talk to the people from a position of strength. Thus,
in 2003 the whole city center was surrounded by barbed wire. On 12
April 2004 at night the police severely cracked down the peaceful
demonstrators in Baghramyan Avenue. This time, we have casualties. ‘All
the opposition leaders, including me, called on the public for peace
on 1 March, whereas no power representative came out to the people. The
regime resorted to brutal force. In response, the people had to resort
to self-defense’. S. Demirchyan said.

He is sure that one of the reasons of the tragic income of 1 March
incidents was the impunity of law- enforcers for their previous
crimes. ‘No one was punished for illegal penetration into the building
of Karen Demirchyan Museum on April 13 2003. No objective inquiry is
conducted now into the evident facts of abuse of power by the police
and internal troops officers>, Stepan Demirchyan said.