{"id":284301,"date":"2018-04-10T00:45:29","date_gmt":"2018-04-09T20:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/epress.am?p=284301"},"modified":"2018-04-10T10:17:42","modified_gmt":"2018-04-10T06:17:42","slug":"opposition-group-holds-first-rally-against-serzh-sargsyans-possible-appointment-as-armenias-prime-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/2018\/04\/10\/opposition-group-holds-first-rally-against-serzh-sargsyans-possible-appointment-as-armenias-prime-minister.html","title":{"rendered":"Opposition Group Holds First Rally Against Serzh Sargsyan\u2019s Possible Appointment as Armenia\u2019s Prime Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The opposition For the State of Armenia movement today held its first rally in the Freedom Square in downtown Yerevan, marking the start of the series of rallies a group of opposition forces – collectively known as the \u201cReject Serzh\u201d initiative – plan to hold across Armenia over the next week against Serzh Sargsyan\u2019s probable appointment as the country\u2019s next Prime Minister. The first large rally is scheduled to take place on April 13 at the same spot, which For the State of Armenia movement, along with the Civil Contract and Yerkir Tsirani opposition parties, have been given Yerevan Municipality\u2019s permission for.<\/p>\n

Those gathered at the Square today heard speeches from a number of members of the initiative, including For the State of Armenia representative Albert Baghdasaryan, who spoke about the group\u2019s possible further plans once they manage to overthrow Sargsyan. The first step, he said, would be to create an interim Government, which would rule for 1-1,5 years and help develop a legitimate Constitution.<\/p>\n

Ex-presidential candidate, Heritage party leader Raffi Hovhannisyan, who participated today in the inauguration of President-elect Armen Sargsyan to congratulate him and declare that his appointment was \u201cmore or less close to legitimacy,\u201d was also spotted in the crowd at the Freedom Square. Many of those gathered welcomed Hovhannisyan\u2019s presence at the rally, while others criticized his participation in Sargsyan\u2019s oath-taking ceremony.<\/p>\n

One group, in particular, could be heard recalling the post-election rallies in 2013, during one of which Hovhannisyan abandoned the crowd of demonstrators on Baghramyan Avenue and joined national police chief Vladimir Gasparyan for a prayer at Tsitsernakaberd, the Armenian Genocide memorial complex.<\/p>\n

At some point during today\u2019s rally, prominent human rights defender Arthur Sakunts took to the stage to present some figures and facts, which, he argued, disproved the Republican Party\u2019s claim that \u201cSerzh Sargsyan is irreplaceable.\u201d Sakunts talked about the deadly post-election clashes of March 1, 2008, the growing migration rates, the country\u2019s gravely large foreign debt and its alarming poverty rates, and criticized the nation-army-church concept that has been recently put forward by the authorities.<\/p>\n

Watch the human rights defender\u2019s speech in the video below:<\/em><\/p>\n