Heritage Party and the ARFD object to the Republican Party's draft statement on mechanisms to find ways out of the post-election situation in Armenia.

The head of Heritage's parliamentary group Ruben Hakobyan has told ArmInfo that this document has nothing to do with the reality caused by the Feb 18 presidential election. "In their time the Republicans dismissed our proposals to dissolve the parliament, to conduct 100% party-list elections and to transit to a parliamentary regime, and now they are suggesting things that have nothing to do with the current reality. If they actually want to find a way out, they must
consider our scenario as well," Hakobyan said.

The Armenian National Congress has its own proposals, stipulating removing the illegitimate regime and restoring the constitutional order.

"For this purpose, we must amend the Electoral Code and jointly consider ways to organize mid-term presidential and parliamentary elections," the ANC says, adding that it is ready to discuss only this scenario. 

In an interview with ArmInfo the secretary of the parliamentary group of the ARFD Aghvan Vardanyan was laconic: "We have examined that document and cannot accept it."

Prosperous Armenia will make its position public this evening.

The Republican Party suggests organizing political consultations between the ruling forces and the opposition with a view to find solutions to the most urgent problems.

 "The fact of raising a demand on giving  positions means in some sense that the opposition has recognized legitimacy of the incumbent president, which is a positive fact", deputy chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Razmik Zohrabyan, said at today's press-conference.

He said that the demands raised by the opposition are "normal" and the RPA leader, re-elected president Serzh Sargsyan, will revise them only a part of them, as there is no word about dissolving of the parliament. "There is no legal basis for that. The parliament was elected a year ago. The political forces agreed to the results of the election, the parliament was established and has been working. For this reason, the president has no reason to dissolve the parliament", - he said.

Asked why the RPA has changed its initial position  and at present is ready to negotiate with the opposition, Zohrabyan replied, that stability in the country is the
most important for the ruling party. "According to several structures, the war in the Karabakh conflict zone may be resumed at any minute, and we shall not let interior weakening of the state, as our enemies will undoubtedly make use of it", - Zohrabyan said.

Heritage Party will not ally with the regime even if offered a number of government offices, the head of the party's parliamentary group Ruben Hakobyan said at Liberty Square on Tuesday.

He said that the offices will be given to the opposition rather than Heritage, so, it makes no sense talking about any alliance.

Hakobyan refused to give the names of the eight candidates Raffi Hovannisian mentioned. "We don't have shadow government culture in Armenia and once you give specific names, you make those people a target for criticism and charges," Hakobyan said.

Concerning the fears that the regime may leave Heritage with nothing just like it did with the Armenian National Congress, Hakobyan said that there is such a possibility, but the opposition must not be afraid of it or it risks turning inactive.





 

On 9 April, at the day of inauguration, Serzh Sargsyan will be announced the president and the rally wave, initiated by the leader of the Heritage party, Raffi Hovannisian, will gradually reduce, director of the "Caucasus" institute, Aleksandr Iskandaryan, said at today's press-conference.

He said that Armenian authorities will not make serious concessions to Hovannisian, as there is no reason for that. For this reason, the situation will not change much. "The "opposition" idea is in ruins in Armenia, and they will not manage to form true opposition in the near future", - Iskandaryan said.

The RPA victory at the presidential election consisted of the three stages: first, its success at the parliamentary election, the second, removal of the Prosperous Armenia Party leader, Gagik Tsarukyan, from the presidential race, and the third, the victory itself on 18 February.

He also added that Raffi Hovannisian which was the second in the race, also showed good results, although the votes given to him, did not belong to him. The whole protesting electorate voted for Hovannisian, as the rest possible weighty candidates for president did not run for president.