YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Chairman of the Armenian Democratic Party Aram Sargssian declared at a rally organized by the National Accord Alliance Friday that opposition can succeed only if people support the movement.
The political leader called on the more than 3000 individuals present at the rally to attend the next gathering on May 15.
"If 100,000 people gather here like they did last September–we will be able to resolve our needs and deman’s," he explained.
Rafael Ghazarian–representative of Scientific-Industrial and Civil Union–also voiced discontent with the passivity of people by saying–"Why when [the Karabakh Committee members] were arrested–did the Armenian people gather here and demand our release? It is a similar situation now [referring to the Alliance’s deman’s to suspend all politically motivated trials]."
Bagrat Yesayan–Vahan Hovhanessian public defender said that "as early as 1992–when Levon Ter-Petrosyan accused the Armenian Revolutionary Federation–he led the dialogue with the opposition using "criminal language" and today those who have fought for our homeland are being tried in the supreme court".
Poet Razmik Davoyan criticized the authorities and called on the Armenian people to be politically aware and active.
Paruyr Hairikian–Chairman of the National Self-Determination Union–emphasized the importance of democratic victory in Armenia–saying–"We cannot be called a democratic state as long as there are political prisoners in Armenia."