{"id":83817,"date":"2011-04-09T00:00:17","date_gmt":"2011-04-08T19:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.epress.am\/?p=83817"},"modified":"2011-04-09T00:03:04","modified_gmt":"2011-04-08T19:03:04","slug":"ter-petrossian-sets-new-deadline-for-armenian-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/2011\/04\/09\/ter-petrossian-sets-new-deadline-for-armenian-leadership.html","title":{"rendered":"Ter-Petrossian Sets New Deadline For Armenian Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ter-Petrossian set a new deadline for Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan as thousands of his supporters again rallied in Yerevan\u2019s Liberty Square in defiance of a government ban. Riot police again let the crowd enter the square after a brief conversation with HAK representatives, reports RFE\/RL’s Armenian service<\/span><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

In his 35-minute speech, Ter-Petrossian insisted that the Sargsyan administration free all political prisoners, agree to an objective inquiry into the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan and guarantee opposition access to Liberty Square. He said all three demands must be satisfied before the next HAK rally scheduled for Apr. 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that does not take place, then the Armenian National Congress (HAK) will consider the possibility of dialogue [with the authorities] to have been exhausted and will be compelled to drastically change its tactic and the character of activities,\u201d he said, triggering \u201cLevon!\u201d chants from the crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are still not inclined to talk to the authorities in the language of ultimatums,\u201d added Ter-Petrossian. \u201cBut the people\u2019s patience has limits. Therefore, Apr. 28 must be either a day of the beginning of dialogue or a day of the final watershed between the authorities and the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HAK leader did not specify whether he is prepared to launch the kind of non-stop protests that followed the disputed presidential election of Feb. 2008. He already issued what he called a \u201clast warning\u201d to the Armenian authorities on Mar. 1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ter-Petrossian\u2019s right-hand man, Levon Zurabyan, spoke of \u201cresolute actions\u201d which he said would \u201cmake the authorities sober up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are calling on the people to start today a nationwide preparation for the launch of a campaign of civil disobedience across Armenia. And let nobody doubt that the people\u2019s patience is running out,\u201d Zurabyan told the crowd before it Mar.ed to Liberty Square.<\/p>\n

Zurabyan said the authorities have still not met any of the demands voiced by the HAK since the launch of its campaign of antigovernment demonstrations on Feb. 18.<\/p>\n

The campaign, clearly inspired by the anti-government revolts in several Arab states, rapidly gained momentum, with the number of HAK demonstrators steadily growing in the course of last month.<\/p>\n

But attendance at Friday\u2019s rally, although still rather robust, was clearly not stronger than at the previous protest on Mar. 17. Police said 8,500 people took part, while organizers claimed the number was much greater.<\/p>\n