From Armenia in brief: Opposition decides to suspend rallies temporarily

by Armen Hakobyan

Published: Saturday October 25, 2008

An antigovernment rally in Yerevan on October 17. Photolure.

Yerevan - Levon Ter-Petrossian, the first president of Armenia and now a leader of the opposition, has announced a temporary halt in all mass protests. He made his announcement at a mass rally on October 17.

The decision to suspend rallies for two months was not unanimously accepted by the various organizations within the Armenian National Congress headed by Mr. Ter-Petrossian.

Jirayr Sefelian, who is a member of the Armenian National Congress, announced that he does not agree with the decision to stop the rallies, but, nevertheless, will not disobey it. Levon Zourabian, the coordinator of the congress' central office announced that all their supporters who were disappointed by this decision will understand the significance behind this step and rid themselves of their emotional state.

During the rally, Mr. Ter-Petrossian as usual gave a long speech. He accused the current president of making a "sharp turn toward the West" at the cost of relations with Russia. (This announcement came on the eve of the official visit of the Russian president to Armenia.) Mr. Ter-Petrossian also alleged that in order to solve his issues of legitimacy with Western countries, Mr. Sargsian is prepared to sacrifice Armenia's state interests and is submitting to strong international pressure in the settlement process of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and is on the way to making severely damaging compromises. The former president - who was forced from office for urging "severely damaging compromises" in Karabakh - suggested that under such circumstances the opposition's public struggle could be used as a tool in the hands of the international community and so that is why he took the decision to stop all political actions and to concentrate on the defense of opposition members who were imprisoned after the clashes on March 1, resolving the organizational issues of the opposition congress, and establishing its structure.

Attendance at Mr. Ter-Petrossian's rallies has been dwindling. Edward Sharmazanov, member of parliament and a member of the Republican Party of Armenia, said he believes that the opposition has exhausted its resources for struggle through rallies.