Author: Kajoyan Gevork

RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN TO CONTINUE DEMONSTRATIONS IN REGIONS

19:57, 22 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS: Presidential candidate of Armenia,
leader of “Heritage” party Raffi Hovhannisyan is going to organize
demonstrations in some cities of Armenia.

As reports Armenpress, this was noted by Raffi Hovhannisyan at
Independence Square on February 22. The route of the demonstrations
includes Ashtarak, Vanadzor, Gyumri and will be concluded in
Yerevan.”We will have an opportunity to once again be at this square
and aim our whole potential at the future, which is ours and which we
deserve,” he noted. Leader of the party continues to dispute results
of presidential elections held on February 18.

Hovhannisyan’s decision about continuing demonstrations was reached
after February 21 meeting with incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.

February 22 demonstration Hovhannisyan concluded with the rally in
capital’s streets. Opposition figures, including deputy presidential
candidate Andrias Ghukasyan, ARF deputy Armen Rustamyan and NA deputy
Nikol Pashinyan, participated in the demonstration.

In accordance with the preliminary results Serzh Sargsyan was
re-elected. He has received 861 160 votes, 58.64 percent of the valid
votes. “Heritage” party leader Raffi Hovhannisyan has received 539
672 votes (36,75 percent). Though Raffi Hovhannisyan considers him
to be the elected President.

VANADZOR CITIZENS: WE VOTED CONSCIOUSLY

04:51 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

A group of young people today gathered outside Vanadzor Municipality,
demanding Mayor Samvel Darbinyan to respond for his Feb. 21 statement
in which the official said that people in his city ‘voted for Raffi
Hovannisian unconsciously, without realizing what they were doing.’

Raffi Hovannisian reportedly took the lead in the city in the Feb. 18
presidential vote.

The young people were carrying posters that read, “We defend our vote,”
“We are conscious!”

Police did not hinder the action; they stood aside watching
the participants. Neither Samvel Darbinyan, nor Municipality
representatives showed up to talk to the group.

76 ITEMS, INCLUDING 21 INTERNATIONAL TREATIES, INCLUDED IN DRAFT DECISION OF THE AGENDA OF UPCOMING NA FOUR-DAY SITTINGS

18:59, 22 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS: Armenian NA working consultation
presided over by the President of the National Assembly Hovik
Abrahamyan was held on February 22.

As reports Armenpress, the draft decisions on amending the agenda of
the third session of the National Assembly of the fifth convocation
and on February 25-28 four-day sittings of the National Assembly were
debated. 9 items and 6 international treaties were included in the
draft decision on amending the agenda of the NA third session. 76
items, among them 21 international treaties were included in the
draft decision of the agenda of the upcoming NA four-day sittings.

The draft decisions on amending the agenda of the NA third session of
the fifth convocation and on the agenda of February 25-28 four-day
sittings of the National Assembly will be approved at February 25
NA sitting.

ANDRIAS GHUKASYAN: WE MUST DEFEND THIS UNITY EVEN IF WE HAVE TO DIE FOR IT”

Story from Lragir.am News:

20:31 22/02/2013

Andrias Ghukasyan, one of the presidential candidates, addressed the
rally called by Raffi Hovannisian. He said this fake election was
another frustration for the public.

“Today we are here because we disagree with this situation. This
fake election was a reason for the people to unite. I am here to
congratulate Raffi Hovannisian. You did what our opposition has been
unable to do for many years. But it is not victory yet. This is the
first step. We will win a victory when we may the state admit that
its actions were illegal, when the state invalidates the preliminary
results,” he said.

Andrias Ghukasyan noted that the state has to understand that the
society does not accept the result of elections, which will lead
to civil disobedience. Andrias Ghukasyan stated that we must defend
this unity we have achieved even if we have to die for it. Andrias
Ghukasyan stated that people will achieve victory.

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: “I DEMANDED THAT SARGSYAN RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE’S VICTORY. HE REFUSED.”
Marine Madatyan

19:30, February 22, 2013

Raffi Hovannisian announces launch of constitutional struggle. Plans
a tour of towns and villages.

Addressing the throngs of supporters today in Yerevan’s Freedom Square,
Raffi Hovannisian said that a yesterday’s meeting at the Presidential
Place Serzh Sargsyan refused to recognize the “victory of the people”.

Hovannisian told the crowd that, while paying his respects, he demanded
that Sargsyan accept the will of the people and that Sargsyan answer
was “no”.

Responding to some in the crowd who had questioned why Hovannisian
took the trouble to walk on foot to see Sargsyan, Hovannisian said,
“I went because I have no hang-ups in my homeland. I have no fears.”

Hovannisian said that his parting word to Sargsyan was a demand to
punish all those who had engaged in election fixing.

Hovannisian, who has refused to accept the official election results
naming Sargsyan the winner, assured the crowd that he would continue
to wage a “peaceful and constitutional struggle”.

“We have no time to waste. This popular movement will not die. We
are headed towards victory,” he exclaimed.

Hovannisian announced that starting tomorrow, he and his supporters
would tour all the towns and villages of Armenia one by one to take
the victory and greetings to our compatriots.

“Tomorrow Ashtarak. In the afternoon it’s Vanadzor and Gyumri by 5pm.

On Sunday at 3pm we will gather again at Freedom Square,” said
Hovannisian.

Interfax, Russia
Feb 21 2013

Armenia’s former presidential candidate to celebrate his “victory” at rally

YEREVAN. Feb 21

Ex-Foreign Minister and Heritage opposition party leader Raffi
Hovannisian, who came in second in Armenia’s February 18 presidential
election, has said he will celebrate his “victory”.

“We all know that the people won on February 18. We invite everyone to
attend tomorrow’s rally, during which we will celebrate our victory,”
Hovannisian told his supporters on Freedom Square in central Yerevan
on Thursday. After it, we called on demonstrators (some 1,000 people)
to leave the venue.

The official bulletin of the Dashnaktsutyun Armenian Revolutionary
Federation has reported that Hovannisian met with ARF leaders on
Thursday.

Hovannisian said earlier today that he had met with incumbent
President Serzh Sargsyan, who won another five-year term in office, to
discuss “ways out of the current crisis.”

After the meeting, Hovannisian urged his supporters to end their
action outside the presidential residence and join a rally on Friday,
when he is going to disclose the details of his meeting with the
president.
Hovannisian earlier disagreed with the election outcome.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 23 2013

Turkey expects to solve the thorny issue of Nagorno-Karabakh through
economic development and collaboration

23 February 2013 – 2:36pm

Turkey has proposed that Armenia take part in its comprehensive
regional transportation project linking Europe to Asia, if there are
concrete developments in solving Nagorno-Karabakh dispute with
Azerbaijan, reflecting a political will to build a win-win situation
for all countries in the southern Caucasus in a post-conflict era.

Turkey’s recent move to reconcile with Armenia was nixed due to strong
Azeri reaction in 2010, which caused suspension of the ratification of
two key protocols for establishing diplomatic relations and opening
the sealed borders. Turkey has since re-focused on seeking ways to
activate the almost futile Minsk Group, under the Organization of
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for pushing Azerbaijan and
Armenia to agree on a peace plan.

Within this framework, Turkey introduced its Integrated Transportation
Corridors Project to the Minsk Group on Nov. 8, 2012 during a meeting
in Vienna attended by three co-chair countries, France, Russia and the
United States. `It has received a positive response from all Minsk
Group countries,’ sources told the Daily News. `We have made clear to
them this project is aiming at creating a peace perspective to the
benefit of all relevant parties.’

APNM Congress Was Not Smooth

22:44 23/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Today the 18th emergency congress of the Armenian Pan-National
Movement called to discuss the merger of the Armenian National
Congress Party and the Armenian Pan-National Movement was not smooth.
Lots of members of the Armenian Pan-National Movement were against
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s initiative.

Hovhannes Igityan, member of the APNM board, disagrees that the party
is in crisis. He said their party survived Robert Kocharyan’s
intention to close the party and later it served as the basis for the
establishment of the Armenian National Congress. He said the APNM is
ready for reforms whereas this initiative will complicate everything
and is frustrating.

The ex-president of the National Assembly Babken Ararxyan was also
dissatisfied. In his speech there were some subtle hints to Levon
Ter-Petrosyan. He said politics needs pragmatic plans but politics is
the highest morality despite the popular opinion.

Babken Ararxyan said he will not give up APNM easily. As to the
argument for the establishment of the ANC party that the APNM is in
crisis, Ararxyan thinks everyone must think on what has happened over
this period of time.

Zhirayr Sefilyan warns Raffi Hovannisian against repeating previous
opposition forces’ mistakes

ARMINFO
Saturday, February 23, 19:18

For the first time over the 25 years since the Karabakh war Armenia is
experiencing a new liberation struggle, Garegin Chugaszyan, member of
the initiative group of Sardarapat Movement, said at today’s press
conference.

He pointed out that the Armenian residents disagreeing with the
presidential election results have decided to express their discontent
by attending the rallies in Liberty Square. He recalled that the civil
activists howled down the Feb 19 press conference of the international
observers from OSCE/ODIHR, PACE and CoE and demanded that the
observers should leave Armenia, because they encourage the authorities
to rig the election by their “loyal” assessments. In addition, on Feb
22 the civil activists held a protest action in front of the building
of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

He thinks that the current situation is direct evidence of the fact
that the opinion saying that people are corrupt and do not assert
their will was a big mistake.

For his part, Zhirayr Sefilyan, a hero of the Karabakh war, member of
the initiative group of Sardarapat Movement, expressed his concern
over Raffi Hovannisian’s possible repeating the previous opposition
forces’ mistakes. “Hovannisian should not let the people get
disappointed once again”, he said. As regards the election results,
Sefilyan stressed that since 1996 the opposition has been winning the
elections in Armenia, but the ruling regime did not let that fact
become a reality.

The supporters of Raffi Hovannisian, who obtained 36.75% of votes and
gained the second place in the Feb 18 presidential race, has been
holding rallies in Liberty Square since Feb 19. Today Hovannisian is
holding similar rallies in Ashtarak, Vanadzor and Gyumri, and on Feb
24 – again in Yerevan.

According to the preliminary results of the election, the incumbent
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan obtained 58.64% of votes.

Jirayr Sefilyan: “We’ll do everything possible to sustain the energy
of Raffi Hovannisian’s movement”
Narek Aleksanyan

14:46, February 23, 2013

At a press conference today in Yerevan, Pre-Parliament civil
initiative representative Jirayr Sefilian told reporters that they
would do everything possible to sustain the energy of Raffi
Hovannisian’s movement but that, `The energy would have to be directed
correctly in order to establish an alternative power base leading to
alternative elections.’

Sefilian said that once this scenario came into being, the current
regime would be presented with the request to `hand over the keys to
power’.

Varouzhan Avetisyan, another member of the civil initiative, said that
his group would be focusing on the `self-organization’ of the people
leading to a constituent parliament. This body, he argued, would have
the legitimacy to serve as an alternative to the current parliament in
Armenia.

When this reporter asked if such a body wouldn’t be in contradiction
to the law of the land and the constitution, Avetisyan said that the
current constitution forbids the toppling of the constitutional order
through violence and that their actions only included peaceful means.