YEREVAN. – Our objective is not solely a change in power; our key objective is to carry out systemic changes in Armenia. Karabakh war veteran, Armenia’s Sardarapat initiative coordinator Jirair Sefilian stated this Wednesday, within the framework of the citizen’s assembly at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square.

He noted that they have a clear-cut program as to which direction the people’s outburst should be led. 

“The newly-forming layer [of society in Armenia] has set a task of creating a state with a new quality. We need to clarify as to what system we will replace the working system with,” Sefilian noted.    

He also recorded that many say opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian—who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote and who declared a hunger strike on March 10 at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square—has no team.  

“Raffi Hovannisian’s team is our people entire. We have found the mechanism that will unite the best sons of our people around the idea of a new-quality state,” Sefilian said.     

He also noted that their program will resolve numerous problems. 

“With our program we will resolve the matter of uniting the pan-Armenian intellectual, ideological potential. That is, we will create a state with the potential of not solely the Armenia-resident people, but also with that of all Armenians. It is also time for a political generation change. [But] by saying generation change we do not mean the age, but rather a qualitative change,” the Karabakh war veteran said.    

Sefilian also stressed that, “now we have a path, owing to which a parallel power will be formed.”   

He also noted that the times, when one man had to lead the people, have passed.

“Now, a group of people shall lead. A group of honest, stern people should be formed, which need to set up the process by creating coordination groups in Armenia and in the [Armenian] Diaspora,” Jirair Sefilian maintained.