Epress.am News from Armenia
The Heritage Party considers Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s response to Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian’s official letter to be an inappropriate, divisive attack on Hovannisian’s person and the entire opposition, Armenian society and its citizens.
“If in its Nov. 25 statement the HHK [Republican Party of Armenia] noted that ‘it’s necessary to refrain from attempts to give exclusivity to the political commitments undertaken by the government, as they have reasonable boundaries,’ then in its Nov. 26 response the HHK leader and current president Serzh Sargsyan revealed this ‘boundary.’ That is, any demand or suggestion to holding free, fair and competitive elections or making this a reality crosses the ‘permissible boundary’ and is deemed as pursuing denigrating, poisonous, discreditable and malevolent aims,” reads the Heritage Party’s recent statement.
According to the opposition party, Sargsyan’s reaction proves that the Armenian authorities are not refusing and not preparing to renounce the use of administrative leverage, are reinstating party monopolies in public and state resources, dictating unequal conditions for competition, obliging civic and public workers, distorting the electoral system through a majority system, tampering with electoral lists, involving the army and the church in politics, and other flawed tactics.
“It’s extremely concerning that the president considers the 2008 presidential election to be positive, alluding that it was mostly in line with international standards, which supposed that there might be a new ‘March 1‘.
“The president must realize that such political rhetoric, guided by ‘elections’ conducted by the methods noted above, is the shortest path toward internal public intolerance. Therefore, the time has come to soberly assess the situation for all, including the president.
“If Serzh Sargsyan made a mistake or overshot, or deviated from the presidential style and content, it happens, he can still correct his mistake… to admit the truth of the vast majority of items in Raffi Hovannisian’s letter and to take steps to immediately address these issues… to ensure a finally legal (de jure) electoral result in the Republic of Armenia,” reads the Heritage Party statement.