Category: 2018

The Yerevan Municipality urges rally organizers and participants to refrain from steps on arbitrarily moving and damaging the city’s property.

“During the ongoing rallies in the capital cases of arbitrarilly moving and damaging the city’s property, including the garbage bins and benches, have been recorded. At the same time numerous complaints and alerts were received from citizens according to which the rally participants obstruct the normal operation of public transport.

Taking into account the aforementioned, we call on the rally organizers and participants to refrain from steps on arbitrarily moving and damaging the city’s property, as well as hindering the operation of public transport”, the statement said.

Armenia’s transitioning to a parliamentary system will enable to implement democratic transformations and to develop the country’s economy more rapidly, 3rd President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, the ruling Republican Party’s candidate for Prime Minister, told the Russian Izvestiya news agency in an interview.

“Actually, we are already living in a parliamentary republic for a few days now. Tomorrow Members of Parliament will elect a Prime Minister. Thus, all main organs of administration of the country will be formed. Constitutional changes began in Armenia in 2005 [Referendum introduced checks and balances, presidential powers were decreased and parliament’s role expanded. They [changes] came into legal force in 2007.

By holding high positions of state administration for many years, including the office of Prime Minister and President, our colleagues and I came to a conclusion that the semi-presidential administration format contains big threats, because it isn’t balanced,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan stressed that it had turned out that the President had great responsibility in the domestic and foreign policy and security issues, however did not have relevant powers to initiative the obligations under the Constitution.

“A return to a presidential system wouldn’t have been positively perceived in our society. The 2008 presidential elections proceeded not smoothly, didn’t they? Almost all political forces were demanding to change the system of administration into a parliamentary [system]. In response to such desires, we decided to balance the political structure of the country, which not stands out with strong legislative power of the parliament, before which the government is held fully accountable to. I believe that this kind of administration type is more in line with Armenian reality and the mentality of our people. This will enable to implement democratic transformations and to develop Armenia’s economy with a more rapid pace,” Sargsyan said.

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan’s crowd marched through downtown Yerevan to Khanjyan Street and blocked traffic near the Vardan Mamikonyan statue.

The rally proceeded from France Square through Baghramyan Avenue, then passing Mashtots Avenue, Koryun Street, Charents Street, Heratsi intersection and reaching Khanjyan.

Prior to this police officers removed several protesters who were blocking traffic in the Heratsi Street section.

Traffic is suspended in a number of busy streets of Yerevan. Police released a warning saying that such actions can endanger public safety.

Karabakh is a small country, but it doesn’t serve a basis to say that it doesn’t have a right to live freely. People lived here for thousands of years and will continue living, 3rd President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, the ruling Republican Party’s candidate for Prime Minister, said in an interview to the Russian Izvestiya news agency.

He stated that although the active stage of the Nagorno Karabakh exists for already three decades, this conflict existed previously.

“25 out of 30 years have passed through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group. In 1994, by the mediation of Russia, a trilateral termless ceasefire agreement was signed. Unfortunately, since 2014 Azerbaijan almost every day violated the ceasefire regime.

In April 2016, failing in the negotiations, the Azerbaijani side, by violating all its commitments through the agreement, launched a large-scale aggression against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic by using a large number of air force, armored vehicles, large caliber artillery, missile and artillery systems, most of which has been acquired from Russia. But they failed to solve any serious issue, and on the 5th day the sides met by Russia’s mediation and agreed to restart the implementation of the provisions of the agreement signed earlier”, Sargsyan said.

He recalled that during the period following this a number of summits were held during which agreements were reached to create investigative mechanisms for ceasefire violations and expand the powers of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

“But the Azerbaijani side, returning to Baku, refused to implement the agreements. In 2007 the Minsk Group proposed to solve the conflict based on the three principles of international law – non-use of force of threat of force, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and territorial integrity. We think that this is a balanced approach of mutual concessions. This is not what we have dreamed of. This is not the best option for us. But understanding that the issue can be settled only based on a mutual concession, we agreed to negotiations. And it seemed in 2011 we were close to the signing in Kazan. But Baku put forward additional demands, and the signing didn’t take place”, the 3rd President of Armenia said.

Serzh Sargsyan stated that the Azerbaijani leadership has an illusion according to which the mutual concession is possible only by Armenia and Artsakh. According to its leadership, it is due to this that the status-quo remains unchanged. “But here a response mutual concession is needed. Azerbaijanis still hope for the military settlement of the conflict. As the practice showed both in early 1990s and in 2016, this is impossible. There will be great losses, casualties, but the situation will not change in any case. Nevertheless, sooner or later we should come to any settlement. The sooner the better.

And the future of Karabakh is the free life. Yes, it’s a small country, but this is not yet a reason to say that you have no right to live freely. People lived there for thousands of years and will continue living also in the future. Of course, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Russia, the United States and France, do a lot for the conflict settlement. Five statements were made at the presidents level, and all these speak about the fact that the conflict can be settled based only on these three principles. These principles are inseparable. And this is very important”, Serzh Sargsyan said.

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan and his crowd of supporters have blocked the Victory Bridge in Yerevan.

The crowd was proceeding from Grigor Lusavorich Street to Baghramyan Avenue, when suddenly the activists changed the route in the direction of the bridge to remove a tow truck which was attempting to restore traffic.

Passengers of a vehicle who were transporting a child were asking the crowd to allow to move on, but MP Pashinyan did not allow for the car to resume traveling. The MP instructed his followers to deflate the tires of the tow truck, after which the crowd proceeded to the France Square.

A group of protesters have blocked traffic from Mashtots Avenue to Republic Square, Saryan Street and the section leading to the Opera House. Traffic is suspended in several busy streets of Yerevan.

Police released a warning saying that such actions can endanger public safety and law enforcement agencies are entitled to use appropriate measures if necessary.