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DASHNAKS CALL FOR 'COMPREHENSIVE REGIME CHANGE'
Emil Danielyan
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24544010.html
10.04.2012
Armenia - Armen Rustamian, a leader of the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, addresses a campaign rally in Yerevan,
10 Apr 2012.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) rallied
thousands of supporters in Yerevan and called for a "comprehensive"
change of the country's government and political system at the start
of its election campaign on Tuesday.
Leaders of the opposition party deplored the state of affairs in
Armenia and dismissed sweeping changes promised by President Serzh
Sarkisian's Republican Party (HHK). But they were careful not to
attack Sarkisian personally or even mention him by name.
"This is a government that was saying until recently that everything
is alright in our country and bragged about its achievements. Now
when they say 'let's change to believe' that sounds pathetic," Armen
Rustamian, the de facto head of Dashnaktsutyun's governing body in
Armenia, said, referring to the HHK's campaign motto.
"For if things are fine, what should we change?" Rustamian told the
crowd demonstrating in Yerevan's Liberty Square. "But if things
are bad, why shouldn't we change them? And this is what we must
do together."
Rustamian, who also chairs the outgoing Armenian parliament's committee
on foreign relations, went on to stress the need for a "comprehensive
regime change" that would lead to not only a new government but also
a system of governance that "serves the people."
That, he said, requires the conduct of free and fair elections and
Armenia's transformation into a parliamentary republic.
"We must carry out a comprehensive regime change," said Rustamian. "It
would be meaningless to expect anything serious without that."
Vahan Hovannisian, another Dashnaktsutyun leader, urged voters to
help the party bar "uneducated and corrupt individuals and thieves"
from re-entering the National Assembly. He did not name any of them.
"We tolerated them because we were weak," Hovannisian said. "Now
that we are strong will we allow a corrupt individual to enter the
parliament? No. Will we allow thieves to again sit on parliament
chairs? No."
Dashnaktsutyun was part of Armenia's governing coalition until April
2009 and left it in protest against Sarkisian's policy of rapprochement
with Turkey. It was also represented in the executive branch during
much of former President Robert Kocharian's decade-long rule.
Hovannisian, Rustamian and other speakers at the rally did not comment
on the possibility of Dashnaktsutyun joining a new coalition government
that could be formed by Sarkisian after the May 6 elections.
Dashnaktsutyun won 13 percent of the vote and 16 seats in the
131-member National Assembly in the last legislative elections held
in May 2007.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Emil Danielyan
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24544010.html
10.04.2012
Armenia - Armen Rustamian, a leader of the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, addresses a campaign rally in Yerevan,
10 Apr 2012.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) rallied
thousands of supporters in Yerevan and called for a "comprehensive"
change of the country's government and political system at the start
of its election campaign on Tuesday.
Leaders of the opposition party deplored the state of affairs in
Armenia and dismissed sweeping changes promised by President Serzh
Sarkisian's Republican Party (HHK). But they were careful not to
attack Sarkisian personally or even mention him by name.
"This is a government that was saying until recently that everything
is alright in our country and bragged about its achievements. Now
when they say 'let's change to believe' that sounds pathetic," Armen
Rustamian, the de facto head of Dashnaktsutyun's governing body in
Armenia, said, referring to the HHK's campaign motto.
"For if things are fine, what should we change?" Rustamian told the
crowd demonstrating in Yerevan's Liberty Square. "But if things
are bad, why shouldn't we change them? And this is what we must
do together."
Rustamian, who also chairs the outgoing Armenian parliament's committee
on foreign relations, went on to stress the need for a "comprehensive
regime change" that would lead to not only a new government but also
a system of governance that "serves the people."
That, he said, requires the conduct of free and fair elections and
Armenia's transformation into a parliamentary republic.
"We must carry out a comprehensive regime change," said Rustamian. "It
would be meaningless to expect anything serious without that."
Vahan Hovannisian, another Dashnaktsutyun leader, urged voters to
help the party bar "uneducated and corrupt individuals and thieves"
from re-entering the National Assembly. He did not name any of them.
"We tolerated them because we were weak," Hovannisian said. "Now
that we are strong will we allow a corrupt individual to enter the
parliament? No. Will we allow thieves to again sit on parliament
chairs? No."
Dashnaktsutyun was part of Armenia's governing coalition until April
2009 and left it in protest against Sarkisian's policy of rapprochement
with Turkey. It was also represented in the executive branch during
much of former President Robert Kocharian's decade-long rule.
Hovannisian, Rustamian and other speakers at the rally did not comment
on the possibility of Dashnaktsutyun joining a new coalition government
that could be formed by Sarkisian after the May 6 elections.
Dashnaktsutyun won 13 percent of the vote and 16 seats in the
131-member National Assembly in the last legislative elections held
in May 2007.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress