Yerevan Mayor explains why opposition rallies are banned in Yerevan
During an interview with Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow), Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan responded to a question about the relations between municipal authorities and opposition, given the new wave of opposition rallies in downtown Yerevan.
Karapetyan said that the Yerevan Municipality had not banned the opposition's rally to be held in Yerevan on April 8.
"In fact, the opposition has been permitted to hold a rally though not in the venue it wanted. The opposition can rally its supporters in an area about 500-700 meters away from Liberty Square. I think that nowhere in the world rallies are held in the city centre," said Karapetyan adding that he attempts to keep away from politics
"We seek to ensure comfortable conditions for our citizens regardless of their party affiliation," said the Yerevan mayor.
At the same time, he reminded that he had been nominated by the Republican Party of Armenia and naturally, he was accountable to them.
"However, I can't say that the party gave me assignments when forwarding my candidature. I was only assigned to create the best possible comfortable environment in the city," said Karapetyan.
According to the Yerevan Mayor, the municipality gives everyone a chance to speak.
"Maybe we do not allow them to address people in the place that they want, but the decision is applied for everyone without exception. For example, in Washington or, I don't know, in Brussels, do they give the opposition space in the central square knowing that causes trouble for their citizens? No, they don't. But when we don't do that here, in Armenia, they say there is no freedom of speech," he said.
Liberty Square, the main traditional venue for political gatherings in Armenia, has been closed for opposition rallies in 2008 following the post-election clashes on March 1 that left ten citizens killed in Yerevan streets.
Municipal authorities in Yerevan have banned the opposition from rallying supporters in the square and offered it to stage rallies near Matenadaran. The municipality rejected all applications, saying the square was ascribed to other public events.
