Day Of Perpetuating The Memory In The National Assembly

DAY OF PERPETUATING THE MEMORY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly
Oct 28 2009
Armenia

Today is the 10th anniversary of the crime on October 27. In the
Park of the National Assembly the opening ceremony of the memorial
perpetuating the memory of the state and political figures, who fell
victims of the crime in the National Assembly, National Hero of the
Republic of Armenia, Karen Demirchyan, National Hero of the Republic
of Armenia Vazgen Sargsyan, Yuri Bakhshyan, Ruben Miroyan, Mikayel
Kotanyan, Armenak Armenakyan, Henrik Abrahamyan and Leonard Petrosyan
was held. President of the Republic Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, Speaker of
the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, His Holiness Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II, Prime Minister Mr. Tigran Sargsyan, members
of the Security Council, President of the Constitutional Court,
family members of the victims, deputies of the Natioanl Assembly,
members of the Government, intellectuals, members of the parliament
staff and journalists took place in the opening ceremony.

Opening the ceremony Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik
Abrahamyan said:

"Honourable Mr. President of the Republic of Armenia, Your Holiness,
Dear relatives, Dear ladies and gentlemen!

Ten years have passed from the tragic events, which took place in the
National Assembly on October 27, 1999. The crime that shocked the
Armenian people took the lives of the state and political figures,
who had great contribution in the establishment of independence,
statehood and army building of country, national heroes Karen
Demirchyan, Vazgen Sargsyan, devotees of the Armenian statehood
Yuri Bakhshyan, Ruben Miroyan, Mikayel Kotanyan, Armenak Armenakyan,
Henrik Abrahamyan and Leonard Petrosyan.

Today, we appeal in their memory, people, whose contribution is really
undeniable in the history of the newly independent Armenia.

The loss is irreversible, and wound is incurable. The past years have
not eased the pain and regret of all of us.

This wonderful work made by outstanding painter and sculptor Yervand
Kochar, which is erected in the Park of the National Assembly to the
victims of October 27, symbolizes the victory of the good towards evil,
the road passed by the state and political figures, who have fallen
victims of the crime, and which is full of resoluteness, aspiration
and devotion of confronting the evil, fulfilling the sacred ideas of
the Armenian statehood .

I would like to finish my word with the part of the address of the
President of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Serzh Sargsyan to the people:
"Armenian people are united in their goals and strong with their sons.

Our martyrs’ memory and the future of our generations demand to
have a stable and firm statehood, powerful and prosperous country,
a motherland, which became the birth of the dreams of the whole
Armenians. Today, more than ever our people should stand united; we
should have capability of maturing our collective identity to life
in the reality of statehood. That is our road to the future."

"10 years have passed, but has been forgotten, nothing has been
forgotten, its evidence is today’s ceremony," Rima Demirchyan,
widow of Karen Demirchyan, who fell victim of crime, said in the
National Assembly. "This should be done earlier. If they haven’t done
before, then it’s good that at present the leadership of the National
Assembly launched to erect the memorial." As. Mrs. Demirchyan assessed,
the memorial is chosen delicately. Though Yervand Kocharyan has not
witnessed that cruel reality, has not dedicated to the victims, but
it contains sorrow, pain and loss, which not only feel the victims’
family members, but the whole nations. He expressed conviction that
the crime committed on October 27 has been unprecedented in the
human history by its cruelty. It left an incurable injury not only
in our hearts, but it shook the bases of our statehood. "What gives
meaning to life, gives meaning also to death, all the victims were
people thinking for the state, and their guide has been the people,
the idea of serving to the Armenian statehood: that has given meaning
to their life, it has also given meaning to death. Let their memory
be bright, let the years pass, and this memorial has its contribution
in keeping their memory. Dozens of years will pass, here will come
new generations of state figures, deputies, and every time on October
27 they will pay their tribute. We shall keep sacred their memory,"
Rima Demirchyan ended her word.

Rima Demirchyan and Greta Sargsyan were given honour to open the
memorial.

At the end of the ceremony those present laid flowers at the memorial,
paying tribute to the memory of the victims of the crime.

In the morning of the same day President of the Republic of Armenia
Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik
Abrahamyan and other representatives of the political Establishment
of the Republic of Armenia visited Yerablur. There they paid tribute
to the tomb of the National Hero Vazgen Sargsyan, as well as they
laid down on the tomb of Andranik Commander and on the memorial
perpetuating the memory of the victims of Artsakh freedom fighting.

In the afternoon of October 27 Speaker of the National Assembly Mr.

Hovik Abrahamyan accompanied by the head of the faction of RA NA
Republican Party of Armenia Mr. Galust Sahakyan, Chairman of RA NA
Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Mr. Vardan Ayvazyan and other
officials visited the National Pantheon. There they laid down flowers
on the tomb. In the Pantheon they also laid down flowers on the tomb
of late Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS