STEPAN DEMIRCHIAN: POLITICAL PERSECUTIONS SHOULD BE FIRST STOPPED TO START A DIALOGUE

Noyan Tapan
April 4, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The cause of the March 1 events was the
rigging and violence recorded in the presidential elections. Stating
this at the April 4 press conference, Stepan Demirchian, the Chairman
of the People’s Party of Armenia, said that opposition’s rallies and
processions had exclusively peaceful nature, and use of force by the
authorities was not grounded at all.

According to the PPA Chairman, the situation is really strained, even
explosive in the country at present, and real steps need to be taken
to mitigate that tension. "The authorities should realize that it
is impossible to overcome this crisis by repressive methods. Nothing
is completed, the people are indignant, and this outward calm means
nothing," he said. S. Demirchian affirmed that the formation of
a quadrilateral political coalition does not solve the problem,
"and they should not deceive themselves that allegedly they enjoy
support of 70-80% society’s support."

According to S. Demirchian, a real dialogue should be started with the
people and people’s confidence should be gained, as "personalities’
agreement has nothing in common with the national consent." Political
persecutions should be stopped to make possible a dialogue between
the opposition and the authorities, all political prisoners should
be released, people having committed a crime should be precisely
differentiated from people expressing their political position. And
the investigation should be indeed unbiassed, and the actions of the
Police should be also examined.

Answering journalists’ questions. S. Demirchian said that on March 8 he
was invited to the Special Investigation Service for an interrogation,
after which they did not disturb him. He advised to apply to the
Prosecutor’s Office on the issue that he is the only one out of the
leaders of parties supporting first President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s
movement, to whom no accusation has been brought.

In connection with the fourty days of death of the March 1 tragic
events’ victims S. Demirchian considers correct avoiding organization
of festivities on April 9, the inauguration day of the new RA
President, which cannot be changed.