“THE STRIKE PLACES” DO NOT REMAIN EMPTY

A1+
[04:17 pm] 13 April, 2006

Today the dwellers of Northern and Chief Avenues organized a protest
in front of the Government premises with the following posters,
“We demand flats as a solution to our matter.” Their strike passed
without any serious incidents; there were no cries or threats; they
simply gathered to remind the Government of their existence.

As usual the strikers were received by no one; even the Human Rights
Protector Armen Haroutyunyan left the building without inquiring
of their demands. The strikers did not submit any new application
or letter.

“We gave our applications long ago but so far we haven’t had any
response to them. They found a certain Chief of Regional Department
Khachatur Vardanyan and sent him to calm us down,” said one of the
strikers.

According to the strikers’ explanations their gathering in front
of the Government building is determined by the presence of the
Justice Minister in the Government session. “Justice in our country is
presented by a person who claims that we are interested in money. We
demand David Haroutyunyan to step back from his financial interests,
to imagine himself as the representative of the Armenian nation in
the Constitutional Court on April 18 and to have a fair approach to
the matter,” says Sedrak Baghdasaryan.

The strikers are sure with 95% that they will win in the Constitutional
Court but they continue their strikes as “the remaining 5% may be
fatal. The high – rank officials may order the Constitutional Court
to reject our requests.” Sedrak Baghdasaryan is not particularly
interested in the decision of the Constitutional Court. “We turned to
all courts but none of them assisted us. My last hope is the European
Court. The Government is seriously interested in the decision of the
Constitutional Court as it is a question of honor.”

The further steps of the strikers are connected with the decision of
the Constitutional Court, but they are sure in one thing, “We shall
continue our struggle to the end,” assures Vachagan Hakobyan.