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Not Revolution or Rebellion, But Mobilization: Levon Ter-Petrossian
09.10.2011 11:26 epress.am
Leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) Levon Ter-Petrossian at
the HAK rally on Friday spoke briefly about the document outlining
grounds for pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections and `the
need to form a legitimate government' presented by the opposition bloc
within the framework of its dialogue on Aug. 9 with the ruling
authorities.
Ter-Petrossian cited confidential US diplomatic cables recently
published by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in which former US
diplomats called into question the legitimacy of the 2008 presidential
election as further proof of his and his alliance's claims that the
2008 election was rigged. The opposition leader then cited another
WikiLeaks cable that revealed violations in Constitutional Court
procedures, which he said undermines the National Assembly and makes
its existence `meaningless.'
Drawing on the document prepared by HAK, Ter-Petrossian noted that
because of the existence of 76 MPs with business interests, the
National Assembly has become a lobbying, corrupt body; that is, an
organization that serves the interests of individual oligarchs, big
business, economic clans and monopolists.
The opposition leader then stated that the principle of impartiality
in the judicial system in Armenia has been violated. Referring to the
recent arrest of HAK youth activists, he particularly drew attention
to Tigran Araqelyan who is in pre-trial detention and is the reason
the opposition bloc has suspended its talks with the authorities.
`If [Tigran] Araqelyan is set free in the coming days, we will be
ready to return to the negotiation table. Otherwise, by keeping the
dialogue suspended, we will be compelled to talk to the authorities in
another language. By another language I mean not a revolution or
uprising but the forcing of pre-term presidential and parliamentary
elections through more frequent rallies and an utmost consolidation or
mobilization of the popular masses,' he added, reports RFE/RL's
Armenian service.
Ter-Petrossian said HAK knew from the start that the dialogue wouldn't
lead to their desired outcome - because the outcome in all cases
would've been dependent `on the level of pressure from the masses.'
`We are guided not by the crazy idea of a life-or-death struggle or
the irresponsible slogan `death or freedom,' but by the cold
realization... to use all the lawful possibilities to reach our goal and
fulfill our duty to the people and the state. If other concerned
political forces also set aside minor issues and became guided by this
realization, we would have had a completely different country long
ago.
`The next HAK rally will take place on Sept. 23,' Ter-Petrossian concluded.
From: A. Papazian
09.10.2011 11:26 epress.am
Leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) Levon Ter-Petrossian at
the HAK rally on Friday spoke briefly about the document outlining
grounds for pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections and `the
need to form a legitimate government' presented by the opposition bloc
within the framework of its dialogue on Aug. 9 with the ruling
authorities.
Ter-Petrossian cited confidential US diplomatic cables recently
published by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in which former US
diplomats called into question the legitimacy of the 2008 presidential
election as further proof of his and his alliance's claims that the
2008 election was rigged. The opposition leader then cited another
WikiLeaks cable that revealed violations in Constitutional Court
procedures, which he said undermines the National Assembly and makes
its existence `meaningless.'
Drawing on the document prepared by HAK, Ter-Petrossian noted that
because of the existence of 76 MPs with business interests, the
National Assembly has become a lobbying, corrupt body; that is, an
organization that serves the interests of individual oligarchs, big
business, economic clans and monopolists.
The opposition leader then stated that the principle of impartiality
in the judicial system in Armenia has been violated. Referring to the
recent arrest of HAK youth activists, he particularly drew attention
to Tigran Araqelyan who is in pre-trial detention and is the reason
the opposition bloc has suspended its talks with the authorities.
`If [Tigran] Araqelyan is set free in the coming days, we will be
ready to return to the negotiation table. Otherwise, by keeping the
dialogue suspended, we will be compelled to talk to the authorities in
another language. By another language I mean not a revolution or
uprising but the forcing of pre-term presidential and parliamentary
elections through more frequent rallies and an utmost consolidation or
mobilization of the popular masses,' he added, reports RFE/RL's
Armenian service.
Ter-Petrossian said HAK knew from the start that the dialogue wouldn't
lead to their desired outcome - because the outcome in all cases
would've been dependent `on the level of pressure from the masses.'
`We are guided not by the crazy idea of a life-or-death struggle or
the irresponsible slogan `death or freedom,' but by the cold
realization... to use all the lawful possibilities to reach our goal and
fulfill our duty to the people and the state. If other concerned
political forces also set aside minor issues and became guided by this
realization, we would have had a completely different country long
ago.
`The next HAK rally will take place on Sept. 23,' Ter-Petrossian concluded.
From: A. Papazian