“Harutyun will not leave disappointed”

Promises the Armenian National Congress (ANC) press secretary Arman Musinyan

– Yesterday ANC political council’s meeting took place, during which issues related to today’s rally were discussed. Will you go into details a little bit; what decisions exactly were made? At the last rally Levon Ter-Petrossian called for every man present to bring 5 people with him; if “there’s no room to swing a cat” in the Freedom Square today and the number of the rally participants is unprecedented, is there any decision what must be done?
– I should say that ANC prepared for today’s rally very seriously. ANC central office, political council and local organizations are all raised to this end. The problem is the following – after meeting our three demands a dialogue commenced between ANC and the authorities and the social tension objectively decreased. Objectively, because the society was aware of the results of the dialogue. However, after the regime started to use its dearest methods, using brute force and basically after the well-known incident kept Tigran Arakelyan for obvious political reasons, we got political prisoners again. In the meantime, the Congress has always stated that political prisoner is an obstacle in the way of the dialogue. Therefore, now we can do nothing else, but to turn to the society, to the people for having their say again, and the people must take the socio-political processes in their own hands. That was also the reason why president Ter-Petrossian called for guaranteeing mass attendance at the previous rally and ANC is determined to work on that. Today’s rally will be one of the most important rallies in recent years and it will be an important event in terms of intensifying the social wave and voicing the society’s protest by itself.
– The rally day was probably not chosen casually, as that day is the deadline given to the authorities by ANC in the framework of the dialogue. Is it possible that other actions will follow the rally?
– This rally was assigned today, because of a very simple reason that the deadline given to the authorities formally ends today, although we knew in advance that the authorities were not basically inclined to dialogue, and the people will decide what political measures should be taken during this wave’s intensification.
– Have ANC decided on the future steps?
– We have a few options of further developments, but the people’s participation is the essential thing in all of them. I call for our compatriots, for the people who want change, who pin their hopes, their future on Armenia to participate in today’s rally. Let us state at the rally what development will the intensification of the social wave have. But I guarantee one thing the society will not be disappointed.
– After September 23 rally the government coalition’s leader Davit Harutyunyan stated that ANC conducted a pre-election campaign. What will you say?
– I wouldn’t like to refer to a statement that aims at keeping peace inside the team and does not reflect the logic of political processes.
– Guess there are force majeure circumstances and the authority meets the opposition demand of snap election. Are the Congress ready for a snap election?
– I am surprised that you think those are force majeure circumstances; it is very common around the world and we should never be surprised at such things. However, under today’s circumstances, taking into account the Armenian reality, it may seem surprising, nevertheless we will achieve snap presidential and parliamentary elections and the Congress are ready for the election. Local organizations of the Congress have done a lot of work in this regard too, but everything in turn.
– Is the pre-election list ready? It is usually an apple of discord in our country.
– ANC is very mature political institution and I don’t think we will have such problems. However, I stress once again, everything in turn.