June 24, 2011 - 16:09 AMT
Ter-Petrossian to respond to presidential statement at June 30 ANC rally

Armenian National Congress (ANC) leader Levon Ter-Petrossian will respond the statement by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during June 30 ANC rally, according to the Congress coordinator.

As Levon Zurabyan told a news conference in Yerevan, intensive discussions were held after the presidential statement was issued.

Zurabyan presented a 6-clause return statement to the authorities, demanding to put an end to informational blockade of the ANC and stop blocking transport routes to prevent people from participating in opposition rallies. He also warned against spreading false rumors about the ANC-authorities dialogue.

The statement stressed that the authorities are to make a transition from half-measures to formation of full-fledged negotiation format. “The dialogue cannot drag on forever, system changes leading to formation of legitimate authorities is the only acceptable outcome of the dialogue,” he said.

On June 17, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan issued a statement relating to a dialogue with the extra parliamentary opposition, urging ANC to abandon ultimatums and resume a political dialogue with the authorities.

“If there are political forces, which have concrete and reasonable proposals, we are ready to provide concrete solutions; If among the numerous problems facing our people and our country the ANC is interested exclusively in the elections, the Speaker of the National Assembly is ready to personally receive the representatives of that political body and hear them out. If, however, there are suggestions aimed at the rise of our economy and solution of the social problems existing in the country, then the Prime Minster personally will receive them and discuss these issues. If there are issues which command intervention by the President, the Head of the Presidential Staff will receive them and discuss all issues.

However, if instead of negotiations, which are unacceptable, the Armenian National Congress is genuinely ready to continue the dialogue on the outline of the country’s development, essential issues of the country’s foreign and internal policies and desires to do so through the specially designated individuals, the representatives of the Coalition parties can sit down at the negotiation table with them. The Political Coalition is ready to conduct such discussions with all political forces which possess concrete proposals,” the presidential statement says.