ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR WILL BE BROKEN BY FEBRUARY 19 IN SOCIETY, ARARAT ZURABIAN CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Jan 25, 2008
YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. According to Ararat Zurabian, the
Chairman of Board of the Armenian National Movement (ANM), a member
of the central preelection headquarters of Levon Ter-Petrosian, great
changes happened in 2008 as compared with the preelection year of 2003.
Thus, in his words, still on the eve of the presidential race
18 parties declared their support to presidential candidate Levon
Ter-Petrosian, while in 2003 mobilization of opposition forces happened
only in the second tour, when opposition candidates consolidated
around Stepan Demirchian.
Besides, as A. Zurabian said in his interview to NT correspondent,
the presidential elections of 2003 were predetermined by the incident
of October 27, 1999 in the National Assembly, after which society was
intimidated. In his words, in 2003, during the huge opposition rallies,
people were detained in the streets and administrative arrest was
imposed upon them with the accusation of participation in the so-called
unsanctioned rallies. Nothing of the kind is observed today, as in
his words, such actions were precisely repulsed from the very first
move. "I mean release of the participants of the October 23 procession
detained by the Police, who took to the streets with a megaphone
to notify the people about the rally with Levon Ter-Petrosian’s
participation. Then the first President personally came to the police
station and stayed there until his supporters were released."
The ANM leader expressed an opinion that today the fear of 2003 has
been overcome to some extent. He expressed the hope that the atmosphere
of fear will be broken in society by February 19.
In Ararat Zurabian’s opinion, the fact that the President ran for
the second term then, while today the issue of change of President
is set without fail, is also positive compared with the previous
presidential elections. "In such authoritarian states as Armenia
it is very difficult to change the President running for the second
term. Certainly, now it is easier to do this than in 2003."