Leadership promotes poverty to retain power - oppositionist

PanARMENIAN.Net - At Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc rally, Armenian National Movement board chair slammed the impunity of those responsible for March 1 events.

As Aram Manukyan stressed, the leadership is deliberately promoting emigration, rise in poverty and tragic incidents in the army to retain power.

ANC coordinator Levon Zurabyan in turn, pointed out the unsatisfactory situation Armenia has found itself in on the threshold of elections. The oppositionist urged the people to intensify the struggle against the ruling regime by upping involvement in ANC activities.

From February 20, 2008, the Armenian opposition led by first president Levon Ter-Petrossian, who ran for presidency in 2008, but was not elected, held rallies in the central part of Yerevan, protesting against the election results.

The protest actions resulted in unrest and clashes between the police and rally participants on March 1-2. According to the Office of RA Prosecutor General, around 200 people were injured, 10 people were killed, and over 100 people were arrested.