Armenian Oppositionist Blames Second, Third Presidents For March 1 E

ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST BLAMES SECOND, THIRD PRESIDENTS FOR MARCH 1 EVENTS

TERT.AM
14:50 ~U 01.03.13

The opposition Democratic Fatherland party’s chief considers Armenia’s
second and third presidents responsible for the March 1, 2008
post-electoral turmoil that resulted in 10 deaths in capital Yerevan.

At a news conference on Friday, Petros Makeyan said that second
President Robert Kocharyan opened the tragic chapter, with Serzh
Sargsyan being aware of everything.

As for the current post-electoral developments, Makeyan said they give
rise to the question as to whether such a scenario is possible now, but
he ruled out such a possibility, considering the new political setting.

“The society has changed; so has the international organizations’
attitude because they are aware that they will not resort to a second
[violence] without digesting the first,” he explained.

Makeyan noted that the crowd supporting the Heritage party’s leader,
Raffi Hovhannisian, does so not because it finds the politician an
alternative, but rather because it is sick and tired of the same
political figures.

“They elected Raffi. We hail the society’s rebellion; we are with the
people, participating in the processes. But the people remain there
on the square as long as they see something is being done,” he said,
adding that the opposition has to accomplish its work until Serzh
Sargsyan’s inauguration ceremony due on April 9.

He then called upon both the authorities and the opposition to draw
conclusions of the current developments.

“A mutual concession is the real way out, but that has to meet its
real purpose, instead of being just a show. The opposition must now
set itself a clear-cut timeline; otherwise the same cycle will recur.

But in case the opposition seeks for offices [in government], that
will yield no result,” he said, stressing the importance of dissolving
the parliament and holding a new election.

Makeyan said concession now is the only option left to the
authorities. “The authorities have not given a final answer.

Bargaining is now under way, but there is no other option,” he said.