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Looking Back at the 1999 Armenian Parliamentary Shooting

“In general, the [Oct.] 27 [1999 Armenian parliamentary shooting] was a crime against the system. I am going to say that, yes, Vazgen [Sargsyan] had been defense minister, had taken people to the army, there was war, there were victims, and there would’ve been people who were unhappy with Vazgen, but why Demirchyan?” today said Republic party leader Aram Sargsyan, speaking with Epress.am, at Yerablur military cemetery on the outskirts of Yerevan. 

Also paying their respects to those who perished in the infamous Oct. 27, 1999 Armenian parliamentary shooting were Armenian National Congress (HAK) representatives led by HAK leader, first president of the Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian. Prior to going to Yerablur, HAK members had gone to the Komitas Pantheon where a number of famous Armenian artists and writers are buried. At the Pantheon, flowers were placed on the grave of then parliamentary speaker Karen Demirchyan; while at Yerablur, flowers were laid on then prime minister of Armenia Vazgen Sargsyan’s grave. 

Aram Sargsyan is convinced that the Oct. 27 crime will definitely be uncovered; more so, he doesn’t consider that the crime is not in fact uncovered.

Speaking on the Demirchyan-Sargsyan alliance, Sargsyan said:

“There was a political force, which was representing this country, with which this country had a future. It was after that when people became millionaires, they satisfied their own inner blood-thirsty sentiments, materialism, began to drive around the city with 100 cars and I don’t know what. Where were those people before then? 

“A huge group of people, including our nation, I and Vazgen’s friends, from that day on lost the country’s future, the future’s thread and till today we are looking to find that thread and move forward. A group of people acquired positions, opportunities, financial assets, and, I think, that’s everything: I feel for those people.”