Epress.am News from Armenia
“The movement doesn’t invent slogans and then wrap the people [in it]. The people freely chant those slogans which they deem correct. This is simply a reflection of democracy. And no one, whoever it may be, can go against the will of the people,” said Armenian National Congress (HAK) coordinator Levon Zurabyan, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today and commenting on a Mar. 30 statement by Sardarapat movement member Jirair Sefilian.
As previously reported, Sefilian had said he didn’t like the slogan “Levon, president!” often chanted by HAK activists at rallies and referring to first president of the Republic of Armenia, HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrossian. According to Sefilian, many people don’t join HAK for this reason. Furthermore, Sefilian said, if their appeals are unheard, “they [i.e. HAK] will find itself in the margins and the time will come when Sardarapat will guide the people.”
“I personally don’t see a place for any prospect to appear in the margins,” retorted Zurabyan.
The opposition representative was then asked to comment on a statement by another Sardarapat member, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan, who said, “It’s been I don’t know how many years that Armenia’s residents have been living like Bill Murray’s character in the film Groundhog Day.”
“We’ve remained in the ‘political winter,’ in the night in March 1; in our country, March 2 and the ‘political spring’ doesn’t begin,” Khzmalyan was reported as saying.
“Whoever has remained has remained. We haven’t remained; we’ve begun and continue the ‘political spring.’ And I urge everyone to stand aside from minor, personal, partisan, egoistic, or any type of observations because a historical struggle for the liberation of the people is underway in Armenia today.
“Forget all those things which divide you. Be united and come, let’s achieve the people’s victory with joint efforts,” he said.