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  • Stepan Demirchian: Political Persecutions Should Be First Stopped To

    STEPAN DEMIRCHIAN: POLITICAL PERSECUTIONS SHOULD BE FIRST STOPPED TO START A DIALOGUE

    Noyan Tapan
    April 4, 2008

    YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The cause of the March 1 events was the
    rigging and violence recorded in the presidential elections. Stating
    this at the April 4 press conference, Stepan Demirchian, the Chairman
    of the People's Party of Armenia, said that opposition's rallies and
    processions had exclusively peaceful nature, and use of force by the
    authorities was not grounded at all.

    According to the PPA Chairman, the situation is really strained, even
    explosive in the country at present, and real steps need to be taken
    to mitigate that tension. "The authorities should realize that it
    is impossible to overcome this crisis by repressive methods. Nothing
    is completed, the people are indignant, and this outward calm means
    nothing," he said. S. Demirchian affirmed that the formation of
    a quadrilateral political coalition does not solve the problem,
    "and they should not deceive themselves that allegedly they enjoy
    support of 70-80% society's support."

    According to S. Demirchian, a real dialogue should be started with the
    people and people's confidence should be gained, as "personalities'
    agreement has nothing in common with the national consent." Political
    persecutions should be stopped to make possible a dialogue between
    the opposition and the authorities, all political prisoners should
    be released, people having committed a crime should be precisely
    differentiated from people expressing their political position. And
    the investigation should be indeed unbiassed, and the actions of the
    Police should be also examined.

    Answering journalists' questions. S. Demirchian said that on March 8 he
    was invited to the Special Investigation Service for an interrogation,
    after which they did not disturb him. He advised to apply to the
    Prosecutor's Office on the issue that he is the only one out of the
    leaders of parties supporting first President Levon Ter-Petrosian's
    movement, to whom no accusation has been brought.

    In connection with the fourty days of death of the March 1 tragic
    events' victims S. Demirchian considers correct avoiding organization
    of festivities on April 9, the inauguration day of the new RA
    President, which cannot be changed.
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