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Armenian Opposition Leader Urges Government To Release "Political Pr

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  • Armenian Opposition Leader Urges Government To Release "Political Pr

    ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER URGES GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE "POLITICAL PRISONERS"
    by Anna Israelyan

    Aravot
    July 29 2008
    Armenia

    "It is too early to talk about candidacy"

    Heritage party still undecided on joining opposition National Congress

    The chairperson of the board of the Heritage party, Anahit Bakhshyan,
    has announced recently that [party leader] Raffi Hovhannisyan will
    be their candidate in the next presidential election. When asked by
    Aravot whether he will propose his candidacy in the next presidential
    election, the leader of the [opposition] People's Party of Armenia,
    Stepan Demirchyan, replied: "I have not been thinking about my
    participation in the future election. I believe that generally it is
    the wrong time to talk about it." We reminded him that the [opposition]
    Armenian National Congress plans to demand an extraordinary election
    if its demands [the major one being release of "political prisoners"]
    are not met, and Demirchyan answered: "We will talk when the election
    is held."

    [Correspondent] How do you evaluate the arguments voiced by the
    Heritage Party for not joining the Armenian National Congress
    yet, which said that neither programme details or procedures or
    decision-making mechanism became clear in the talks with the initiators
    of [the congress]. So how do other parties make such a responsible
    decision, when the content of the major document is unclear?

    [Demirchyan] Heritage's position is very understandable. I treat
    this position normally. Of course, there are issues that need to be
    clarified - starting from the decision-making mechanism.

    [Passage omitted: Demirchyan reiterates his opinion that parties that
    would make up the congress will continue to be independent entities
    and the congress will act as a coordinating body]

    National Congress to unite parties with different concepts

    [Correspondent] Partners of the People's Party of Armenia of the recent
    period, back when they opposed the Justice alliance [an opposition
    alliance formed ahead of the 2003 presidential election] often put
    forward accusations that forces with opposing concepts were united
    in this alliance. The [opposition] Alternative [initiative] stressed
    initially that those were united around the [election] manifesto on
    a common ground. However, we should reply that then they went exactly
    the same way, like different, even conceptually opposing forces.

    [Demirchyan] The observation is correct. I am happy that our
    opponents understand with time that we were right. Yes, when the
    talk is about the country's democratization and establishment of
    constitutional order - efforts need to be joined, irrespective of
    conceptual differences. At present the parties in the [opposition]
    Popular Movement have disagreements, but they have put those aside to
    solve important issues like at that time [of the Justice alliance]. At
    the same time, we attach great importance to mergers and enlargement
    of parties on conceptual grounds.

    Guided by principle of peaceful struggle

    [Correspondent] There was a time when your current partners also
    criticized you for a lack of resolve. [Former President] Levon
    Ter-Petrosyan also announces reaching a change of power without
    assaulting buildings, using peaceful methods.

    [Demirchyan] Resolve is often mistaken for boasting in our
    reality. Resolve is not saying big words and making pompous statements.

    [Passage omitted: Demirchyan speaks more about people making pompous
    statements]

    [Demirchyan] Starting from the beginning we were guided by the
    principle of peaceful struggle. Now the opposition has also adopted
    this principle and so has Levon Ter-Petrosyan who came to a meeting
    at the People's Party of Armenia and said that he would go exclusively
    the constitutional way.

    [Correspondent] The stronger the opposition, the more the government
    has to reckon with its demands. In your opinion, taking into
    consideration the current condition of the Popular Movement, does the
    wish of the authorities to carry out the demands of the opposition
    grow or diminish?

    "Political prisoners" should be released

    [Demirchyan] When they say that the opposition makes the government go
    for some steps, reforms - there is a truth in this. Of course, today
    we still see no real steps taken and political persecutions of people
    are continuing. The government should realize that the issue cannot be
    settled by playing for time. If they think that the people will get
    tired of fighting, this is not true. Irrespective of this heat, of
    the hot summer, the sit-in protest in Northern Avenue [in the centre
    of Yerevan] is continuing. They should realize this and take real
    steps. It is obvious that the fist step in this regard is release of
    political prisoners. [President] Serzh Sargsyan said that how could he
    release all [imprisoned people] by one phone call? However, in essence
    they were imprisoned "by one phone call". The quicker the government
    settles this issue, the more it will contribute to easing the tension.
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