Armenian opposition MP lambastes government, calls for early polls

Arminfo
1 Mar 05

YEREVAN

The Armenian authorities are in agony, which can be witnessed by
squabble and showdown within the ruling coalition against a background
of searching for President Kocharyan’s successor, the secretary of the
opposition Justice bloc, Viktor Dallakyan, told the National Assembly
today.

The infighting and squabbling in the coalition show that the ruling
regime which is aware of its failings is attempting to disavow its
wrongdoing and flee the sinking ship, he said. The Armenian
authorities’ policy caused a domestic and foreign political crisis,
Dallakyan said. The level of poverty and migration has increased in
the country over the past years, he noted.

Dallakyan stressed that a criminal atmosphere has been created in the
country as a result of the unlawful actions by the “criminal elements
who swept Robert Kocharyan to power”. Corruption, bribery and the
shadow economy are of immense proportions.

“The falsified data represented by the authorities on the economic
growth aim to cover up the illegal activities of the president’s clan
in the lucrative areas of business,” Dallakyan said.

Human rights abuses and lawlessness are rampant, he stressed. Armenia
has been squeezed out of the regional processes, while the Karabakh
issue has been deadlocked as a result of the anti-national policy by
the ruling regime, the MP said, stressing that the only way out of the
situation is to conduct early presidential and parliamentary
elections.

Not only the opposition forces, but also the forces “for whom the
culture of a more polite address to each other is still dear” should
come together in order to change power, the MP said.