Do you want a new March 1st, Armenian PM asked Non-Ruling Parties

Yesterday, during a question and answer session with the Armenian government in the National Assembly, PM Hovik Abrahamyan stated that he doesn’t understand the non-ruling parties' (Armenian National Congress (HAK), Heritage Party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) wishes and if it is another March 1. Abrahamyan responded to BHK MP Vahan Babayan’s question regarding the week long protests by small and medium sized business owners in Yerevan and Gyumri.

According to Abrahamyan, the reason that the sides do not understand each other is because the four non-ruling parties criticize the government, however, they do not come to discuss decisions, and change them with the government; they especially did not participate in the law’s discussion for the small and medium sized business owner’s “Law on Turnover Tax.”

“If you continue like this, it’ll be difficult for you to become the ruling authorities. You have chosen one camp… as if you’re thinking about the people. The people voted for us, and we’re working. We have presented a package to the SMEs. I get a call from the National Assembly Speaker, saying people are opting out of discussions. What do you want? A regime change in Armenia… it’s not going to happen, do you want a new March 1st in this country? What do you want?”asked the Prime Minister.

However, he did not go into detail about what he meant by a “new March 1st".

Recall, that on March 1st, 2008, early in the morning, police violently dispersed an opposition camp site in Freedom Square. After the Presidential elections on February 19, 2008, there were 10 days of peaceful protests at Freedom Square. On March 1st, protesters gathered on Grigor Lusavorich St. for many hours. During the evening hours, the protesters were shot at. 10 people were murdered: 2 police officers and 8 citizens. Until this day, no one has been accused or tried for the March 1st deaths.