Coalition won’t resume dialogue with ANC unless rally’s discontinued

October 3, 2011 - 20:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Coalition won’t resume negotiations with Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc unless the illegal rally at Liberty Square is discontinued, a coalition working group member said.

According to Gagik Minasyan, coalition considers misinterpretation of the authorities’ legal actions to be unacceptable. “At the same time, we hope that our negotiation partners from ANC realize that resumption of the dialogue is the only prospective method to resolve current issues,” he said.

Representatives of the ruling coalition have held meetings since July 18, the two main issues on the agenda being conduction of extraordinary election (on ANC demand) and development of canons of political competition (as suggested by the authorities).

Problems emerged when police detained 7 young ANC activists. According to the ANC, on August 9 police officers used violence against ANC activists Tigran Arakelyan and Artak Karapetyan. Upon arrival to the site, activists Areg Gevorgyan, Sahak Muradyan, Vahagn Gevorgyan, Sargis Gevorgyan and David Kirimajyan tried to settle the dispute but were beaten as well, the ANC said. All above-mentioned were taken to a police station.

Currently, Tigran Arakelyan is kept in custody. The others were released.

On August 26, the Congress announced that it suspends the dialogue and believes Arakelyan to be a political prisoner.

As ANC leader stated at recent rally in Yerevan, refusal to release Arakelyan within the next few days will prove the incident between the police and opposition supporter to be a put-up job. According to Levon Ter-Petrossian, unless the detainee is released, ANC is ready to mobilize its supporters to force ruling authorities into conducting to snap elections.