MEETING OF OPPOSITION STARTS IN NORTHERN AVENUE

Noyan Tapan

Se p 26, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The meeting organized by the
Armenian National Congress (ANC) on September 26 started with people’s
chanting "Freedom", "Levon is President", "Struggle, Struggle Till
the End". The main subjects of the meeting are the election of head
of Yerevan’s Kentron community to be held on September 28, and the
analysis of the internal political situation in the country.

Member of the Armenian National Movement party Aram Manukian stated
that the opposition has done considerable work on the eve of the
election of the Kentron community head, with about 700 activists of
the opposition being involved in this work. He said that there is a
panic among the members of the team of the current head of the Kentron
community Gagik Beglarian – the rival of the ANC’s candidate Ararat
Zurabian, as the rivals of A. Zurabian are aware of the difference in
votes to be received – not in their facor. At the same time A. Manukian
underlined that the opposition has a problem with keeping its votes. He
added that today there are all the opportunities for the oppositin
to be able to keep the votes it will receive.

The chairwoman of the Social Democrat Hunchak Party Lyudmila Sargsyan
called on all residents of Kentron community to vote at the election
and to defend their votes. In her words, A. Zurabian’s victory will
be everybody’s victory because for months on end the people has been
struggling for protection of its rights. L. Sargsian spoke about
the rumors spread by the authorities to the effect that the popular
movement is allegedly weakening. Addressing the meeting participants
(many thousands of those present), she declared that although Armenia
is small, the opposition will always find a place for holding its
meetings.

It was announced at the meeting that the representatives of the ANC
have met with international observers who are currently in Armenia
and informed them about the existing problems.