YEREVAN. – Opposition Armenian National Congress calls upon concerned citizens to take part in the event, to be held on November 21 near the building of the National Assembly at 2:00 pm. During the press conference on November 20 the head of the parliamentary group of Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan said that for the first time in 18 years the opposition, using the constitutional mechanism, has convened a special meeting with a specific agenda.

He reminded that the agenda of the meeting includes the issue of electoral reform, and if it takes place, and the package of proposals is adopted, the public confidence in elections and public institutions will increase significantly. According to him, this will also contribute to the recommendations contained in the reports of the PACE and OSCE in terms of the elimination of registered shortcomings during the last parliamentary elections.

The opposition representative said that there was a particular social order on the transition to 100% proportional electoral system, which is supported by almost all political forces, except the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

“Republicans said that this initiative is a propaganda trick, and they are not going to come to the meeting. Does this mean that non-governmental organizations, the PACE and the OSCE are all engaged in propaganda? It is the Republican Party that uses propaganda tricks, who is now left alone, underscoring the fact that the current regime does not guarantee free and fair elections, and is even afraid of a debate on the subject,” Zurabyan said.

In response to a question about why the Armenian National Congress has resorted to such actions, knowing that quorum will not be achieved, Zurabyan said the goal is to make the authorities to comply with the public, the people, political parties and the international community.

“This is the way it is done in democratic countries,” Zurabyan added.