Did authorities start a dialogue with opposition?
All watersheds should be left in the past, Edward Sharmazanov, Spokesman for the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) said on Wednesday speaking about the opposition's April 28 rally.
During the April 8 rally organized by the opposition alliance Armenian National Congress (HAK) opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan set a new deadline for President Serzh Sarrgsyan giving Armenia's political leadership another three weeks to free his jailed loyalists, guarantee opposition access to Liberty Square and start an objective inquiry into the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan.
"April 28 must be either a day of the beginning of dialogue or a day of the final watershed between the authorities and the public," Levon Ter-Petrosyan said in his speech.
The authorities have already met the opposition's two demands: they have sanctioned the opposition's next rally in Liberty Square and started investigation into the March 1, 2008 deadly clashes.
The Armenian leadership has partially met the opposition's third demand releasing some of the political prisoners. However another seven people still remain in jail.
Edward Sharmazanov does not share the opinion that the authorities have fulfilled the opposition's demand by allowed the Armenian National Congress to hold a rally in Liberty Square.
"The rally was sanctioned by the Mayor's Office," said the Republican spokesman.
Sharmazanov considers Levon Ter-Pterosyan's statement that HAK accepts the rules of chess and not kickboxing as readiness to start a dialogue with the authorities.
"We have already launched a dialogue which is wrongly taken for a deal in political circles. The dialogue is highly important for everyone, including the authorities, opposition and public," said Sharmazanov adding that the authorities are carrying out democratic reforms in the country.
"The opposition ascribes all good things to itself and blames the authorities for "gloomy" and "rainy" days. The authorities are doing their utmost to ensure favourable atmosphere in the country and to exclude the repetition of past errors," he said.
Sharmazanov refrained from using the term "political prisoners" and said that everyone who has committed a crime should be brought to justice despite his rank or kinship with officials.
""All innocent people will be acquitted," he concluded.
