YEREVAN. – A group of civil activists held a picket Monday before the US Embassy in Armenia, and protested US President Barack Obama’s message of congratulations, which was addressed to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and in connection with Sargsyan being reelected into office as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18.  

The demonstrators held banners that read: “You asked us to believe, you didn’t change!”, “Your president should ask Armenia’s people who to congratulate!”, and several other English-language banners.

They also noted that the US, being a democratic country, had no right to legitimize—by congratulating from the lips of Obama—the candidate—that is, Sargsyan—who, in their view, did not win the election.  

As per the picketers, Obama and the leaders of other countries have no right to extend congratulations as of yet because the deadline for the presidential candidates to petition to Armenia’s Constitutional Court, and with a formal request to litigate the election results, had not expired and it will expire on Monday.

Also, the protesters prepared a letter addressed to US Ambassador to Armenia, John Heffern, and submitted it to an Embassy employee.