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RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN TO BE IN LIBERTY SQUARE ON FEBRUARY 20 DESPITE RALLY CANCELLATION BY PROSPEROUS ARMENIA
YEREVAN, February 18. /ARKA/. Raffi Hovhannisyan, leader of Heritage
opposition party, said Wednesday that he will be in the Liberty Square
in Yerevan on February 20 and will answer journalists' questions
despite Prosperous Armenia Party's decision to cancel the rally
scheduled for that day, Novosti-Armenia reports.
Prosperous Armenia released a statement on Wednesday cancelling the
rally Gagik Tsarukyan, Raffi Hovhannisyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan
(the first Armenian president), leaders of Prosperous Armenia Party,
Heritage Party and the Armenian National Congress, decided to stage
on the mentioned day to outline their further steps amid the tense
political situation in the country.
However, the Yerevan municipality said the rally of these opposition
parties contradicts the assembly freedom law.
Hovhannisyan refrained from commenting on the rally cancellation. He
read out a statement criticizing social and economic things in the
country as well as Armenia's geopolitical situation.
"This is already two years Armenia stands isolated on the international
arena and an unprecedented regress is seen in the process of Karabakh
conflict settlement with many fatal incidents on the border," he said.
Hovhannisyan called on President Sargsyan to resign and order early
presidential and parliamentary elections.
One week ago tension between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and Gagik Tsarukyan escalated after the president, speaking at a
meeting of the executive board of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia President Sargsyan lashed out at his former coalition partner
describing him as 'a scourge for the country who lacks intelligence,
skills and education to govern Armenia.'
Sargsyan told Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan to instruct corresponding
bodies to thoroughly investigate the veracity of "unverified reports"
implicating Tsarukyan in large-scale tax evasion.
He also stripped Tsarukyan from his membership in the National Security
Council for unjustified absence from the council's sessions.
In retaliation to Sargsyan's crackdown, the leader of the Prosperous
Armenia Party said the following day that the current situation in
the country requires solution and 'the only solution is a complete
change of power through extraordinary presidential elections.'
Gagik Tsarukyan said also he was offered the post of president of the
country but only after constitutional reforms that would turn Armenia
into a parliamentary republic. He claimed that the reform is aimed
at enabling Sargsyan to stay in power after the end of his second
and final presidential term in 2018. Tsarukyan said he declined the
offer causing Sargsyan's anger.
Prosperous Armenia is the second largest force in the parliament
controlling 36 seats. It was part of coalition governments from 2007
to 2012. According to some estimates, Tsarukyan is the third-richest
person of Armenia. On February 20, the party and its key allies,
the Armenian National Congress and Heritage, plan to hold a joint
rally in Yerevan to press for Sargsyan's ouster. ---0----
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/raffi_hovhannisyan_to_be_in_liberty_square_on_febr uary_20_despite_rally_cancellation_by_prosperous_a/#sthash.gudkewdR.dpuf
YEREVAN, February 18. /ARKA/. Raffi Hovhannisyan, leader of Heritage
opposition party, said Wednesday that he will be in the Liberty Square
in Yerevan on February 20 and will answer journalists' questions
despite Prosperous Armenia Party's decision to cancel the rally
scheduled for that day, Novosti-Armenia reports.
Prosperous Armenia released a statement on Wednesday cancelling the
rally Gagik Tsarukyan, Raffi Hovhannisyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan
(the first Armenian president), leaders of Prosperous Armenia Party,
Heritage Party and the Armenian National Congress, decided to stage
on the mentioned day to outline their further steps amid the tense
political situation in the country.
However, the Yerevan municipality said the rally of these opposition
parties contradicts the assembly freedom law.
Hovhannisyan refrained from commenting on the rally cancellation. He
read out a statement criticizing social and economic things in the
country as well as Armenia's geopolitical situation.
"This is already two years Armenia stands isolated on the international
arena and an unprecedented regress is seen in the process of Karabakh
conflict settlement with many fatal incidents on the border," he said.
Hovhannisyan called on President Sargsyan to resign and order early
presidential and parliamentary elections.
One week ago tension between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and Gagik Tsarukyan escalated after the president, speaking at a
meeting of the executive board of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia President Sargsyan lashed out at his former coalition partner
describing him as 'a scourge for the country who lacks intelligence,
skills and education to govern Armenia.'
Sargsyan told Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan to instruct corresponding
bodies to thoroughly investigate the veracity of "unverified reports"
implicating Tsarukyan in large-scale tax evasion.
He also stripped Tsarukyan from his membership in the National Security
Council for unjustified absence from the council's sessions.
In retaliation to Sargsyan's crackdown, the leader of the Prosperous
Armenia Party said the following day that the current situation in
the country requires solution and 'the only solution is a complete
change of power through extraordinary presidential elections.'
Gagik Tsarukyan said also he was offered the post of president of the
country but only after constitutional reforms that would turn Armenia
into a parliamentary republic. He claimed that the reform is aimed
at enabling Sargsyan to stay in power after the end of his second
and final presidential term in 2018. Tsarukyan said he declined the
offer causing Sargsyan's anger.
Prosperous Armenia is the second largest force in the parliament
controlling 36 seats. It was part of coalition governments from 2007
to 2012. According to some estimates, Tsarukyan is the third-richest
person of Armenia. On February 20, the party and its key allies,
the Armenian National Congress and Heritage, plan to hold a joint
rally in Yerevan to press for Sargsyan's ouster. ---0----
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/raffi_hovhannisyan_to_be_in_liberty_square_on_febr uary_20_despite_rally_cancellation_by_prosperous_a/#sthash.gudkewdR.dpuf