OPPOSITIONISTS’ MARCH HELD AFTER ANC PREELECTION MEETING IN NORK-MARASH PROCEEDS WITH SOME OBSTACLES

NOYAN TAPAN
MAY 6, 2009
YEREVAN

First RA President, Armenian National Congress leader Levon
Ter-Petrosian heading the ANC electoral roll in Yerevan Council of
Elders elections met with Nork-Marash community’s voters in the yard
of Saint Mary Mother of God Church. Armenian National Congress (ANC)
Coordinator Levon Zurabian, Hanrapetutiun (Republic) party Chairman
Aram Sargsian, Armenian National Movement party leader Ararat Zurabian,
ANM Board member Aram Manukian, resident of Nork-Marash, YSU lecturer
Felix Arakelian spoke at the meeting.

L. Ter-Petrosian spoke at the end of the meeting. He reminded those
gathered that on the voting day no power representative can press or
intimidate a voter. According to him, the authorities can only press or
intimidate those to carry out promotion. According to L. Ter-Petrosian,
for achieving success the inert part of the electorate should become
active.

"You should realize, understand that today they hold the power and
tomorrow we will. However, you should treat us the same way. It is
not the authorities that are the masters of the state, neither is
the people, but a person, a citizen," L. Ter-Petrosian stated. In
his words, no good power is formed anywhere through elections, but
elections are the only mechanism giving the people a possibility to get
free of a bad power. "If you elect us now and we become worse tomorrow,
I will be glad if you throw us out," the opposition leader said.

The march following the meeting proceeded with some incidents. As
long as L. Ter-Petrosian led the march no conflict took place between
the demonstrants and police forces. However, after the first President
left dozens of special police forces in red berets joined the policemen
and on the way from Nork-Marash to the city center for several times
surrounded the demonstrants and brawls and fights took place in some
places. After a conflict between ANC Spokesperson Vladimir Karapetian
and policemen a mutual consent was achieved, and the demonstrants
finished the march without policemen’s accompaniment.