YEREVAN. – The public movement that existed in Armenia on February 18, the presidential Election Day, is gaining greater momentum; this already is a nationwide struggle, opposition Heritage Party Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan said during a press conference on Wednesday. 

Martirosyan expressed a conviction that this struggle will be successful, and noted that the fact that not solely capital city Yerevan, but also the country’s regions became active, is something unique.  

“[Heritage Party Chairman] Raffi Hovannisian [who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote] is holding very good meetings; the citizenry welcomes these visits, [and] that is why the authorities have resorted to provocations,” Heritage’s official stated. 

He stressed that the opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, and a variety of parties and organizations from the former opposition bloc Armenian National Congress have joined the people’s struggle, and that numerous politicians, public figures, and men and women of the arts and letters have expressed their support.   

Armen Martirosyan also noted that the current authorities must accept their defeat and, subsequently, amendments should be made in the Electoral Code, a new parliamentary election should be conducted, and a true coalition government should be formed which, together with “President Raffi Hovannisian,” should launch radical reforms in Armenia.      

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am