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ARMENIAN OPPOSITION ACTIVIST OVANNISYAN REFUSES MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
Interfax, Russia
March 11, 2013 Monday 3:13 PM MSK
Raffi Ovannisyan, the leader of the Armenian opposition party Heritage,
who has recently lost the presidential elections, has refused to meet
with incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.
"The head of the Armenian presidential administration called Raffi
Ovannisyan yesterday to officially invite him to the meeting. We regret
to say that Raffi Ovannisyan has refused a meeting and a detailed
and comprehensive discussion of all issues," Armenian presidential
press secretary Armen Arzumanyan told Armenian agency Panorama.
"The only thing left is to hope that Mr. Ovannisyan evaluated the
situation correctly and is fully aware of the threat of de facto
refusal to have a dialogue," Arzumanyan said.
Sargsyan won the presidential elections in Armenia on February 18.
According to the Armenian Central Elections Commission, 58.64% of
the voters voted for Sargsyan and 36.74% voted for Ovannisyan.
On March 10, Ovannisyan went on a hunger strike protesting the official
voting outcome. Before that, he had conducted protest rallies in
central Yerevan.
On Monday, the Armenian Constitutional Court began the trial of the
lawsuit filed by Ovannisyan seeking the invalidation of the voting
outcome in the presidential elections.
At an opposition rally on February 26, Ovannisyan said he would like
to meet with Sargsyan again "to look for ways out of this situation."
"I am ready to hear his proposals," Ovannisyan said.
The first meeting between Ovannisyan and Sargsyan took place in the
presidential residence on February 21. At the subsequent protest
rally, Ovannisyan said the meeting participants had failed to reach
agreements on any of the issues raised in the meeting.
av jv
From: A. Papazian
Interfax, Russia
March 11, 2013 Monday 3:13 PM MSK
Raffi Ovannisyan, the leader of the Armenian opposition party Heritage,
who has recently lost the presidential elections, has refused to meet
with incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.
"The head of the Armenian presidential administration called Raffi
Ovannisyan yesterday to officially invite him to the meeting. We regret
to say that Raffi Ovannisyan has refused a meeting and a detailed
and comprehensive discussion of all issues," Armenian presidential
press secretary Armen Arzumanyan told Armenian agency Panorama.
"The only thing left is to hope that Mr. Ovannisyan evaluated the
situation correctly and is fully aware of the threat of de facto
refusal to have a dialogue," Arzumanyan said.
Sargsyan won the presidential elections in Armenia on February 18.
According to the Armenian Central Elections Commission, 58.64% of
the voters voted for Sargsyan and 36.74% voted for Ovannisyan.
On March 10, Ovannisyan went on a hunger strike protesting the official
voting outcome. Before that, he had conducted protest rallies in
central Yerevan.
On Monday, the Armenian Constitutional Court began the trial of the
lawsuit filed by Ovannisyan seeking the invalidation of the voting
outcome in the presidential elections.
At an opposition rally on February 26, Ovannisyan said he would like
to meet with Sargsyan again "to look for ways out of this situation."
"I am ready to hear his proposals," Ovannisyan said.
The first meeting between Ovannisyan and Sargsyan took place in the
presidential residence on February 21. At the subsequent protest
rally, Ovannisyan said the meeting participants had failed to reach
agreements on any of the issues raised in the meeting.
av jv
From: A. Papazian