MPs Respond to Film on Events of March 1: Have They Watched It?

Prosperous Armenia (BHK) MP Vardan Postanjyan and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun or ARF-D) MP Artsvik Minasyan have yet to watch Tigran Paskevichyan’s documentary on the events of Mar. 1–2, 2008, in Yerevan, titled “Armenia’s Lost Spring,” as they’ve been busy with forming final examination committees.

“I haven’t had a chance, to tell you the truth,” Minasyan told Epress.am today.

“I too haven’t seen it; it’s just that these final exams have begun. We have difficulties in terms of time,” added Postanjyan, who is also a lecturer and doctor of economics.

“Approach us in 7 days,” added Minasyan.

Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) MP Hovhannes Sahakyan, however, has watched the film.

“I don’t have any education in filmmaking in order to be able to assess the quality and production of the film; overall, if we compare the facts and particularly consider that the Committee on State and Legal Affairs [of which Sahakyan is a member] is in the monitoring group, there are many facts presented that are one-sided,” said Sahakyan.

Recall that mass protests against alleged electoral fraud followed the presidential election of Feb. 19, 2008, in Armenia. On Mar. 1, 2008, national police and military forces, called in to disperse the crowds, used “excessive force and violence” which left 10 people dead and many more wounded. The film, which depicts events before and during Mar. 1–2, 2008, has been sent to high-ranking officials, MPs and ambassadors in Armenia, as well as school principals in Yerevan and the regions.