Armenian opposition announces plans to continue rally outside parliament until Pashinyan’s removal

Panorama, Armenia
Feb 25 2021

Vazgen Manukyan, the Armenian opposition’s candidate for a caretaker prime minister, announced their plans to continue the rally outside the parliament building until the removal of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from power.

A special meeting is planned at the National Assembly today to discuss the ongoing developments in the country.

“We will not go anywhere, until our problem is resolved,” Manukyan told supporters during the demonstration.

“At Republic Square, he [Nikol Pashinyan – ed.] made harsh statements, at the same time expressing readiness to meet with his toughest critics for consultations. We are not his toughest critics, we simply treat him as a state traitor, an enemy of the millennium. We need to discuss only one thing with him: how he is going to leave office.

“The issue of power will be solved at the National Assembly, thus our headquarters will be here. Let’s completely block the street by constructing barricades on both sides. We will stay here, let him come here and we will dictate him our demands and how he has to leave,” the opposition leader said.

Vazgen Manukyan underlined that they are fighting for all future generations, urging protesters to be resilient and patient in this “historic moment”.

“We will block the street; we must make the MPs vote to remove him. Get ready, because we will stay here all night and will block the street with barricades on both sides,” Manukyan said.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS