OPPOSITION BLOC CLAIMS MOUNTING GOVERNMENT INFIGHTING
Anush Martirosian

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14.05.2010

The opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) on Friday again
predicted the impending downfall of Armenia’s current leadership,
saying that it is increasingly riven by infighting and facing mounting
international pressure over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Confrontations within the regime are deepening and the main reason for
that is that the regime has found itself in a desperate situation,"
claimed Levon Zurabian, the HAK’s central office coordinator. "That
is, many within the regime have lost their faith in [President] Serzh
Sarkisian’s ability to ensure the security of their livelihoods and
government continuity."

Speaking at a news conference, Zurabian said the Sarkisian
administration has come under "unprecedented" pressure from
international mediators to accept a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict unfavorable for the Armenian side. "We not only don’t exclude
but consider very likely force-majeure developments both inside the
country and on the external front," he said.

The claims were in tune recent statements made by the top leader of
the opposition alliance, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian.

Addressing an HAK rally in Yerevan last month, Ter-Petrosian said
Sarkisian now has to either accept the proposed Karabakh settlement
and face a domestic backlash or to put himself at odds with the
international community.

"The paradox of the situation is that in both cases Serzh Sarkisian
will undoubtedly lose power," Ter-Petrosian said, urging the president
to resign and call snap national elections.

Representatives of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
have repeatedly laughed off the opposition claims. In particular,
the party’s deputy chairman, Razmik Zohrabian, has described the talk
of fresh elections as "wishful thinking."

Ter-Petrosian already predicted in March 2009 that Sarkisian and
his governing coalition "will destroy themselves" in the next few
months after failing to prevent a "drastic fall in living standards"
resulting from the global economic crisis.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress