LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: DIALOG WITH AUTHORITIES CAN BE ONLY ABOUT THE EARLY ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 20, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 20, the National Movement led by
the former President Leovon Ter-Petrosian held a meeting in Yerevan,
the first since March 1st, as the authorities had so far prohibited
the opposition leader to hold meetings.

In his speech before some 20,000 people, Levon Ter-Petrosian said
the only worthy subject he sees in the PACE Resolution 1609 is
the demand to free all political prisoners, according to him, now
86 people. He blasted the authorities who claim that there are no
political prisoners in Armenia, and applied in a friendly manner to
Serge Sargsian encouraging him to free the prisonners ("Serge, you
used to be my friend, I allow myself to apply you in an non-formal way,
you have the same right. Why not to stop this madness?").

He called the PACE not to apply any punitive measure against Armenia
if the political prisoners are freed by the time of the PACE discussion
on Armenia.

Ter-Petrosian said two other major demands of the said Resolution
are not very important, including that of creating an independent
body for examining the events of March 1st. He declared that under
these authorities no fair investigation is possible. As an evidence,
he presented that fact, that up to now, no criminal cases were opened
for those killed on March 1st, no one guilty for vandalism and robbery
was even accused. "This is because those who committed such crimes,
were the men of Robert Kocharian and Serge Sargsian, and not those
who were in the opposition meeting", he said. He declared that the
former president Robert Kocharian was to blame for the killings of
March 1st and that Kocharian may be brought to the Hague court for
crimes against humanity.

As for the "dialog" with the authorities, Ter-Petrosian said the
dialog may be only about holding early presidential and parliamentary
elections as the Movement does not recognize the current authorities
as legitimate. "Every opposition has two roles. First, trying to
go to power. Second, to force the current authorities to make good
things. We would be happy if these authorities do good things,
nevertheless they have not done any so far," the former president said.

Although the authorities had previously banned holding the meeting
near the Matenadaran hill (a usual site for meetings), the Movement
had said it would ignore this ban and called the people to gather near
the Matenadaran. The hill was initially blocked by police, however,
after brief negotiations, the block was removed and the people was
allowed to go to the hill. No incidents were reported.