HAK Representative Levon Zurabyan’s Response to Serzh Sargsyan’s Speech

Opposition representatives on Monday brushed aside Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s pre-election statements made Saturday at the 13th congress of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports.

“This was an absolutely empty speech,” said Levon Zurabyan (pictured) of the main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK). “Their slogan is especially pathetic. This is the first case in the history of humankind where authorities who have been in power for four years call for change.”

“They are the ones who have rigged elections, built this corrupt and kleptocratic system, destroyed popular faith in morality and made embezzlement of public resources the norm,” Zurabyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) “It’s amazing that they are now trying to teach us lessons of morality.”

The HHK congress, which unanimously reelected Sargsyan as party chairperson, came less than a month before the official start of campaigning for the May 6 parliamentary elections. HHK representatives made clear earlier this year that the ruling party intends to win the vote by a landslide and at the same time ensure its proper conduct. The HAK and other opposition groups portray this as further proof that the authorities are planning massive vote rigging.

Sargsyan slammed the opposition allegations in his speech. “We must hold good elections regardless of the fact that some are now not preparing for the elections but developing the technical capacity to portray them as falsified,” he said.