Tweet
FAILED DOMESTIC RAPPROCHEMENT: RPA DISMISSES TER-PETROSYAN'S "FINAL WARNING"
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/28024/republican_party_dismisses_terpetrosyan_conditions
03.03.11
President Serzh Sargsyan (in the center) last month signed a memorandum
with his junior coalition partners to consolidate his power
Reviving the notorious phrase popularized during the failed
rapprochement attempts between Armenia and Turkey, the spokesman for
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) said on Wednesday that
the regime of President Serzh Sargsyan would only consider dialogue
with former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan's opposition bloc if talks
were tendered "without preconditions".
RPA spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov quite predictably rejected a 15-point
list of demands read out by Ter-Petrosyan at Tuesday's mass opposition
rally, among which was a call for the resignation of Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan and other senior officials, and a call for early
parliamentary elections (due May 2012).
Enlarge Photo Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan presented a list
of demands to the Sargsyan administration to comply with until March
15Ter-Petrosyan, leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), has
warned of a public revolt, unless authorities agree to "a considerable
part" of his demands by March 15.
Sharmazanov dismissed the opposition ultimatum as campaign bluster.
"I think they [the ANC] themselves know very well that setting
deadlines, talking with ultimatums is not the way to go and has nothing
to do with dialogue," Sharmazanov told RFE/RL's Armenian service,
adding that the ruling coalition (including Prosperous Armenia Party
and Rule of Law party) would only negotiate with the opposition
"without preconditions."
"If you want any positive change in your country, if your intentions
are honest, you have to embark on constructive dialogue, rather than
present ultimatums and deadlines to the authorities," Sharmazanov said.
Countering RPA's dismissal of his party's demands, ANC spokesman
Levon Zurabyan likened the situation to the recent overthrow of the
government of Egypt.
"As you remember, (Egypt's deposed President Hosni) Mubarak
too initially spoke very defiantly. He too said he is rejecting
ultimatums. But in the end, he had to cave in," he said.
ANC has scheduled another rally for March 17, during which it says
the government's reply to Ter-Petrosyan's "final warning" will be
discussed.
From: A. Papazian
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/28024/republican_party_dismisses_terpetrosyan_conditions
03.03.11
President Serzh Sargsyan (in the center) last month signed a memorandum
with his junior coalition partners to consolidate his power
Reviving the notorious phrase popularized during the failed
rapprochement attempts between Armenia and Turkey, the spokesman for
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) said on Wednesday that
the regime of President Serzh Sargsyan would only consider dialogue
with former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan's opposition bloc if talks
were tendered "without preconditions".
RPA spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov quite predictably rejected a 15-point
list of demands read out by Ter-Petrosyan at Tuesday's mass opposition
rally, among which was a call for the resignation of Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan and other senior officials, and a call for early
parliamentary elections (due May 2012).
Enlarge Photo Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan presented a list
of demands to the Sargsyan administration to comply with until March
15Ter-Petrosyan, leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), has
warned of a public revolt, unless authorities agree to "a considerable
part" of his demands by March 15.
Sharmazanov dismissed the opposition ultimatum as campaign bluster.
"I think they [the ANC] themselves know very well that setting
deadlines, talking with ultimatums is not the way to go and has nothing
to do with dialogue," Sharmazanov told RFE/RL's Armenian service,
adding that the ruling coalition (including Prosperous Armenia Party
and Rule of Law party) would only negotiate with the opposition
"without preconditions."
"If you want any positive change in your country, if your intentions
are honest, you have to embark on constructive dialogue, rather than
present ultimatums and deadlines to the authorities," Sharmazanov said.
Countering RPA's dismissal of his party's demands, ANC spokesman
Levon Zurabyan likened the situation to the recent overthrow of the
government of Egypt.
"As you remember, (Egypt's deposed President Hosni) Mubarak
too initially spoke very defiantly. He too said he is rejecting
ultimatums. But in the end, he had to cave in," he said.
ANC has scheduled another rally for March 17, during which it says
the government's reply to Ter-Petrosyan's "final warning" will be
discussed.
From: A. Papazian