Post-election opposition rally: ANC protests poll results, yet accepts seats

 May 8, 2012 - 22:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yerevan hosted the first rally of Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc after May 6 parliamentary elections.

At the rally, ANC representative, Haykakan Zhamanak daily editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinyan urged against refusing from ANC-won parliament seats.

Struggle for “happy Armenia” continues

Pashinyan hailed those voters who cast their ballots for ANC, calling supporters of ruling authorities “prisoners of Sargsyan’s Auschwitz.”

As ANC representative stressed at the rally, the bloc will continue struggle “for a free and happy Armenia.”

“We have an obligation to set our people free and we’re here to do it,” Pashinyan concluded

Pashinyan further accused current Armenian leadership of perpetrating genocide of their own people.

ANC will demand Constitutional Court to scrap election results

Armenian National Movement leader, representative of Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc Aram Manukyan announced ANC intention to demand Constitutional Court to scrap parliamentary elections results.

At Yerevan-hosted ANC rally, Manukyan slammed President Sargsyan and high-ranking officials’ involvement in election campaign as unconstitutional, citing it as grounds for cancellation of poll results.

ANM leader also named “blown-up voters lists, vanishing ink stamps in passports” among electoral violations.

ANC says 1 mln 600 thous. voters absurd figure

Manukyan called the reported number of voters (1 mln 600 thous.) an absurd figure considering current emigration rate.

The oppositionist also called attention to the unusually high voter turnout in Armenian provinces as compared to Yerevan voter turnout of hardly over 400 thous.

ANC leader renounces parliament seat

Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc leader announced his decision to renounce the parliament seat he won at recent elections, with ANC representative Hrant Bagratyan to replace him.

As Levon Ter-Petrossian stated at Yerevan-hosted ANC rally, his presence at Armenian National Assembly would make sense were opposition forces to win the parliamentary majority, or were the ruling Republican Party of Armenia to lose its majority of seats.

Levon Ter-Petrossian can’t forsake politics

ANC leader expressed determination to continue his struggle against “Kocharian-Sargsyan regime” for as long as people will be needing him.

ANC leader also commented on May 6 parliamentary elections in Armenia.

According to Levon Ter-Petrossian, at current elections, the authorities showed extreme ingenuity in devising new methods of falsification.

“The ruling authorities proved to be the riffraff they always were,” ANC leader said.

Ter-Petrossian further hailed the voters who cast their ballots for ANC, pledging to continue struggle against the regime.

Commenting on the response of international community, the ANC leader accused it for sacrificing Armenia’s democracy for own geopolitical interests.