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FINAL COUNTDOWN: NON-GOVERNING TRIO WRAPS UP PROVINCIAL TOUR AHEAD OF YEREVAN RALLY
POLITICS | 09.10.14 | 12:17
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/57478/armenia_opposition_trio_rally_gyumri
Photolure
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The last stop of the provincial rallies organized by non-governing
political forces was in Gyumri where once again representatives of
the three parties criticized the government and called for a change
of power and drastic reforms.
The city of Gyumri, which is in the northwest of Armenia, is considered
to be an opposition stronghold and ruling parties almost never get many
votes there. During the last two presidential elections opposition
candidates won in Gyumri: in 2008 it was current Armenian National
Congress (ANC) leader, first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
in 2013 it was opposition Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian.
Enlarge Photo
Deputy head of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan addressed thousands
of people who gathered in Gyumri's Theatrical Square reminding of
last year's presidential election and saying that the people formed
their government still then.
"By your 77 percent of the vote you showed who the government is
in Armenia. Voting for Raffi Hovannisian you showed that today's
government is illegal. There is no other way out now but change of
government. Fish rots from the head, the system must be changed in
Armenia, changing some individuals will do no good. But a new system
must be formed by the people, not by this government," Martirosyan
said.
Reflecting on the glory that Gyumri once used to have, the
oppositionist mentioned that the highest indexes of emigration and
poverty are in Gyumri today.
"The government is to blame for the situation. And unification is an
urgent necessity today, and the problems are clearly manageable by
the new government that will come [after the power change]. I traveled
around Shirak a lot, and in other cities and towns of the country as
well, I saw what is happening. Because of the government's consistent
policy people are in debts," Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) lawmaker
Stepan Margaryan said in his speech.
Especially during the last days of provincial rallies there were more
frequent calls for a power change. Reaffirming the calls made yet in
Vanadzor, PAP MP Zohrabyan repeated the demand in Gyumri.
"I said that and I repeat it - this government must leave, and we must
not allow this government to make constitutional changes in order to
provide another ten-year existence for themselves. This must be one
and only priority, one agenda," Zohrabyan said.
ANC lawmaker Aram Manukyan advised one not to stand in the way of
the new rising wave as "it will blow them away".
Among those attending the rally were also many from socially vulnerable
families and elderly people, Gyumri residents dissatisfied with their
life. People from Artik, Maralik came to Gyumri on minivans. None of
the three party leaders were present at the rally.
Several days before the rally Gyumri Head of Police Vardan Nadaryan
said that Gyumri Theatrical Square would not be crowded on October 8.
Aram Manukyan turned to the Gyumri Head of Police from the stage,
saying that he was wrong.
"Didn't you say there will be no one attending the rally? But the
square is full. I suggest that government officials should not
oppose the rallies. Gyumri is a proud city, a city with dignity and
with this dignity we will stand up and say what we want. There is a
completely new reality in Armenia now. Three powerful leaders, often
very different, unified for one common cause - to save Armenia from
an impending collapse. Armenia is collapsing, and these political
forces set the aim of stopping that process," Manukyan emphasized.
Gyumri mayor representing the PAP Samvel Balasanyan was not present at
the rally - he had left on vacation abroad on October 7 to celebrate
his 60th birthday together with his family.
"He had planned a vacation, and it is Mr. Balasanyan's birthday, I
think he had the right to celebrate it with his family, and I ask you
not to search for another reason behind this. The City Hall was, is
and will always be an apolitical institution led by Samvel Balasanyan,
the mayor himself mentioned that, and that information is not subject
to any changes," the mayor's spokeswoman Lilit Makaryan told media.
ANC MP Levon Zurabyan spoke about an upcoming joint rally in Yerevan,
mentioning that on the same day Armenia is supposed to sign the
agreement about membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU). He mentioned that these two events go parallel by the government
to win dividends.
"It turns out that our government tells in Russia that the opposition
intentionally chose October 10 for the rally not to let Serzh Sargsyan
join the EEU. But the same government, the same people go to the United
States and now tell the Americans that the opposition set their rally
on October 10 so that Serzh Sargsyan goes and joins the EEU.
They sell the same event to Russia and America. But the mere fact
that the government turns to such cheap acts shows just one thing -
they are really scared."
Representatives of the opposition trio urged people of Gyumri to
attend their joint rally in the capital on October 10.
POLITICS | 09.10.14 | 12:17
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/57478/armenia_opposition_trio_rally_gyumri
Photolure
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The last stop of the provincial rallies organized by non-governing
political forces was in Gyumri where once again representatives of
the three parties criticized the government and called for a change
of power and drastic reforms.
The city of Gyumri, which is in the northwest of Armenia, is considered
to be an opposition stronghold and ruling parties almost never get many
votes there. During the last two presidential elections opposition
candidates won in Gyumri: in 2008 it was current Armenian National
Congress (ANC) leader, first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
in 2013 it was opposition Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian.
Enlarge Photo
Deputy head of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan addressed thousands
of people who gathered in Gyumri's Theatrical Square reminding of
last year's presidential election and saying that the people formed
their government still then.
"By your 77 percent of the vote you showed who the government is
in Armenia. Voting for Raffi Hovannisian you showed that today's
government is illegal. There is no other way out now but change of
government. Fish rots from the head, the system must be changed in
Armenia, changing some individuals will do no good. But a new system
must be formed by the people, not by this government," Martirosyan
said.
Reflecting on the glory that Gyumri once used to have, the
oppositionist mentioned that the highest indexes of emigration and
poverty are in Gyumri today.
"The government is to blame for the situation. And unification is an
urgent necessity today, and the problems are clearly manageable by
the new government that will come [after the power change]. I traveled
around Shirak a lot, and in other cities and towns of the country as
well, I saw what is happening. Because of the government's consistent
policy people are in debts," Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) lawmaker
Stepan Margaryan said in his speech.
Especially during the last days of provincial rallies there were more
frequent calls for a power change. Reaffirming the calls made yet in
Vanadzor, PAP MP Zohrabyan repeated the demand in Gyumri.
"I said that and I repeat it - this government must leave, and we must
not allow this government to make constitutional changes in order to
provide another ten-year existence for themselves. This must be one
and only priority, one agenda," Zohrabyan said.
ANC lawmaker Aram Manukyan advised one not to stand in the way of
the new rising wave as "it will blow them away".
Among those attending the rally were also many from socially vulnerable
families and elderly people, Gyumri residents dissatisfied with their
life. People from Artik, Maralik came to Gyumri on minivans. None of
the three party leaders were present at the rally.
Several days before the rally Gyumri Head of Police Vardan Nadaryan
said that Gyumri Theatrical Square would not be crowded on October 8.
Aram Manukyan turned to the Gyumri Head of Police from the stage,
saying that he was wrong.
"Didn't you say there will be no one attending the rally? But the
square is full. I suggest that government officials should not
oppose the rallies. Gyumri is a proud city, a city with dignity and
with this dignity we will stand up and say what we want. There is a
completely new reality in Armenia now. Three powerful leaders, often
very different, unified for one common cause - to save Armenia from
an impending collapse. Armenia is collapsing, and these political
forces set the aim of stopping that process," Manukyan emphasized.
Gyumri mayor representing the PAP Samvel Balasanyan was not present at
the rally - he had left on vacation abroad on October 7 to celebrate
his 60th birthday together with his family.
"He had planned a vacation, and it is Mr. Balasanyan's birthday, I
think he had the right to celebrate it with his family, and I ask you
not to search for another reason behind this. The City Hall was, is
and will always be an apolitical institution led by Samvel Balasanyan,
the mayor himself mentioned that, and that information is not subject
to any changes," the mayor's spokeswoman Lilit Makaryan told media.
ANC MP Levon Zurabyan spoke about an upcoming joint rally in Yerevan,
mentioning that on the same day Armenia is supposed to sign the
agreement about membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU). He mentioned that these two events go parallel by the government
to win dividends.
"It turns out that our government tells in Russia that the opposition
intentionally chose October 10 for the rally not to let Serzh Sargsyan
join the EEU. But the same government, the same people go to the United
States and now tell the Americans that the opposition set their rally
on October 10 so that Serzh Sargsyan goes and joins the EEU.
They sell the same event to Russia and America. But the mere fact
that the government turns to such cheap acts shows just one thing -
they are really scared."
Representatives of the opposition trio urged people of Gyumri to
attend their joint rally in the capital on October 10.