“Ter-Petrosyan proposed a model”
Member of the Armenian National Congress, leader of the Liberal Party of Armenia Hovhannes Hovhannisyan calls on the authorities to admit that their declaration of an amnesty fulfills the ANC's third demand, that is, the release of all political prisoners instead of being ashamed and trying to find pretexts.
"They have finally started doing something normally. They shouldn't be ashamed, but take pride in that. They should say that they finally paid heed to the people and fulfilled their demand. We are sincere when we express our viewpoints and believe that the authorities fulfilled the ANC's three demands in the last three months," Hovhannes Hovhannisyan told "A1+".
Hovhannisyan says if all political prisoners are not released by May 31, since the last day of the amnesty is September 21, then the ANC won't consider the third demand fulfilled.
"That will be the authorities' short-sightedness. This is not the ANC's demand, but the people's demand presented by the ANC."
Hovhannisyan promises that if all political prisoners are not at Freedom Square on May 31, this will bring a new sweep to the change of power that will end very quickly.
As for the PACE Co-Rapporteurs' statement welcoming Serzh Sargsyan's proposal for amnesty and calling on the authorities and the opposition to prepare for democratic elections in 2012, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan doesn't accept that the Co-Rapporteurs are referring to the subsequent elections.
"The international community, be it the co-chairs, the co-rapporteurs, have no right to interfere in our country's domestic affairs. That is not acceptable for a member of the European family. They have to say what exists."
Hovhannes Hovhannisyan says throughout these years, the ANC proposed a model for solving inter-political issues to the international community.
"Levon Ter-Petrosyan proposed that model. The list of CE organizations includes 16 countries with inter-political issues. Armenia's opposition is creating civilized, normal conditions for changing power without any turbulence."
