Manukyan Wants to Rally ‘Passive’ Opposition Supporters on March 1

We’re entering a new stage, qualitatively different, several of its characteristics coincide with the timing of an increase in internal social tensions, developments among the ruling authorities and the existence of hot foreign winds, said HHSh (Pan-Armenian National Movement) party leader Aram Manukyan, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today.

Manukyan also addressed the upcoming third anniversary of the events of Mar. 1, 2008, when demonstrators were violently dispersed following contested presidential elections, leaving 10 people dead and many more injured. “We are going to mark that day as an expression of rebellion, not of crying. We will express our will, rejecting the Mar. 1 phenomenon in general, because it was a serious blow to our democracy, our statehood, our process.”

Promising active engagement in the media, and in civic and political life, Manukyan said they will try as much as possible to mobilize the people and send their messages to international agencies, as well as to gather the opposition masses in Armenia.

“I mean particularly that part of the opposition, which I often call ‘kitchen opposition.’ We will try to bring the kitchen opposition to the square, have them stand by our side, to try to convince them that the joint struggle is more effective, that mass struggle leads to victory more easily,” he said, noting that the “kitchen opposition” are those who are truly displeased with the state of affairs in the country, who truly view a change of regime as a necessary means, but are more passive than regular opposition supporters.

“They are broad layers of society who really feel the need for change, but are passive. Either they are waiting for someone else’s victory or they don’t see themselves as a part of the victory,” he said.

Speaking about other political forces, the HHSh party leader said he doesn’t want to criticize anyone for not joining with HAK, and, according to him, even joining is not important.

“If a political force finds that what we say is true, without announcing it, without showing it, they can come to the square, join our events and realize their wish. It’s just an issue of [what they] wish,” he said.

The opposition party leader added, he sees followers among the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and Prosperous Armenia (BHK) parties.

“I know very well that inside the Republican Party [of Armenia] today there are layers which sometimes don’t openly accept their party’s tactics, who boldly, now inside, register HHK’s failures,” he said.

The same, according to Manukyan, takes place in the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and BHK.