Ter-Petrosyan: Armenian authorities fulfil part of opposition's demands

In Armenia, the government has already fulfilled two out of the three main demands of the opposition. The third one remains - to release political prisoners. This was stated by former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), said at the rally on April 28.

After reminding the audience about the three main demands initially voiced out by the opposition at the rally on March 17, Ter-Petrosyan noted that, in fact, the demand to hold rallies in Freedom Square was satisfied. "The today's rally is a confirmation of my words. I think that the authorities have once and forever refused to interfere with political actions in Freedom Square," said the former president.

He also drew attention of the audience to the statement of the incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan on the need to conduct a detailed investigation and disclose all the circumstances of the crimes committed on March 1, 2008. "This statement is very important, since the government has admitted that the page of March 1 is not closed. Our task is to monitor the whole process of investigation day and night," said Ter-Petrosyan.

The leader of the opposition also said that the third demand of the ANC - to release all political prisoners - has not been fulfilled either in the temporal or in the formal aspects. "However, with account of Serzh Sargsyan's words that this year Armenia will celebrate the 20th anniversary of independence and the Republic Day, which is full of serious topical lessons, and the government is ready to make steps towards détente, we may conclude that the authorities intend to release political prisoners on the Republic Day - on May 28," said the former president.

According to Ter-Petrosyan, although the authorities have failed to cope with the deadline fixed by the ANC, one month is not the time period, for which the ANC will make steps able to poison the atmosphere of sanitation of the political environment.