V. Hovhannisyan: “Policemen do not perform their main functions”
Armenian police began teaching lessons to the government, according to Chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D).
"Police decide what the government should say and do. Instead of performing their main functions our policemen have taken keen interest in political events," ARF-D Chairman Vahan Hovhannisyan said during the parliamentary briefings on Friday.
"Moreover, they began giving advice to people and parties and evaluating political processes. The police are likely unconversant with the constitution and laws, otherwise they would deal with the preservation of public order," he noted.
"It is important that the police disclose the perpetrators of yesterday's incident outside the government building and exclude repetition of similar clashes," said Chairman of the Republican Party (HHK) Galust Sahakyan.
Sahakyan says the deputies present at the incident should have tried to calm people and reconcile them with the authorities.
Speaking about the municipality's clampdown on street trading Vahan Hovhannisyan said ARF-D is going to negotiate the issue with Mayor Karen Karapetyan and is waiting for Karapetyan's return to the country. Sahakyan said that the authorities should create conditions for open-air traders to earn their daily bread.
Hovhannisyan also referred to the opposition's demands presented at Armenian National Congress's rally on Tuesday and the coalition's response. Though he said he hadn't thoroughly familiarized himself with the document, he found the government's response interesting.
"The ruling coalition considered the opposition's demands unacceptable and said it would have discussed the document if the demands carried concrete proposals. If the Congress demanded the resignation of the Government or Armenian Police Chief, should the coalition consider it a proposal?" said Hovhannisyan, characterizing the coalition's response as illogical.
Regarding the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents' Saturday meeting in Sochi, the ARF-D leader said he didn't have serious expectations.
"There will be no changes unless Armenia demonstrates a rough stance on the Karabakh issue," he said.
