No Need for a Sit-In on May 31, Believes HAK Coordinator

Negotiations can take place with this administration only after political prisoners have been released. When we see that our main demands have been met, we will be ready to talk with the authorities with an agenda for snap elections, said Armenian National Congress (HAK) senior representative Levon Zurabyan at a press conference in Yerevan today.

According to him, the negotiations will occur like this: the two parties will assign delegates who will meet and talk about the demand to ensure fairness and legitimacy in early elections. However, if they notice that the authorities are simply “imitating” negotiations and are attempting to gain time and delay fulfilling this demand, then, according to Zurabyan, HAK will be forced to appeal to the power of the people.

Addressing the opinion that it seems people are disappointed after the last opposition rally, the HAK representative said he explained to the people who were demanding a sit-in that day why they shouldn’t organize a sit-in at this time.

“It was quite difficult, but I raised an argument that we have now entered a political process in which all political prisoners will be released on May 28. And if Nikol Pashinyan and Sasun Mikaelyan don’t make speeches at the May 31 rally [i.e. they won’t be released], I will participate in a sit-in,” he said, adding that, in his opinion, there won’t be a need for a sit-in on that day since the Sargsyan administration has made a public promise that they will meet this demand and they don’t want to exacerbate the situation at this time.

Asked by a journalist whether the Armenian National Congress believes in a victory, Zurabyan said, “Do you know any chess player who doesn’t believe in his victory? We have endured the bullets, the police batons, the prisons and the torture. We have endured all of the dictatorship’s attacks due to one thing: our faith [belief]. Please, don’t doubt our faith.”

According to Zurabyan, there have not yet been snap elections and a change in the country’s leadership only for one reason: there was no assurance from the “regime” that they won’t shoot at people. But now, according to the HAK senior official, the situation has changed and for the first time the “regime” has shown willingness to find solutions to political issues.

Note, Nikol Pashinyan, was among several prominent opposition figures who went into hiding in March 2008 following a government crackdown on supporters of former president Levon Ter-Petrossian demanding a re-run of a disputed presidential election.

He surrendered to the authorities in July 2009 and was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of stirring up “mass disturbances” in Yerevan that left ten people dead. Sasun Mikaelyan was likewise imprisoned for a possible connection to the events of March 2008. The Armenian National Congress considers the case politically motivated and refers to both men as political prisoners.