OSKANIAN BACKS HOVANNISIAN’S PROTEST, CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF GOVERNMENT
VOTE 2013 | 21.03.13 | 10:07
Armenia’s former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has voiced support
for opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian’s continuing street protests,
at the same time calling for the resignation of the current government
over what he implied were its failed economic and social policies.
Oskanian, who is a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), told
RFE/RL’s Armenia Service on Wednesday that Hovannisian, who is now on
a hunger strike challenging the outcome of last month’s presidential
election, “should take a decision about his further steps himself.”
“Six hundred thousand people expressed their protest against the
current authorities and demanded changes of persons, approaches
and policy, and right now the carrier of those changes is Raffi
Hovannisian,” he said.
Oskanian also criticized President Serzh Sargsyan for indicating that
he will make no sweeping changes in the government as a result of
the presidential ballot. The ex-minister said even the official vote
results should have prompted the president to take “drastic actions”
to address popular disaffection with his rule.
The PAP declared itself to be a force “alternative” to the ruling
coalition led by Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) after
quitting the government last May.
The party led by tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan has not concealed its
intentions to win power in Yerevan in the municipal elections
slated for May 5. Oskanian is the top candidate on the PAP list to
be submitted for the elections in which the RPA slate will be headed
by incumbent mayor Taron Margaryan.
From: A. Papazian