Armenian opposition to renew demand that PM Pashinyan resign
YEREVAN, May 4. /ARKA/. Police in Armenia detained more than 200 anti-government protesters on Tuesday as one of opposition leaders, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, told supporters late that day that the anti-government protests will continue and called on citizens to join them in blocking roads and streets in the capital Yerevan and beyond the following day.
He urged opposition supporters to close roads and block streets from 12.30 to 2.30 and move towards the parliament building where at 3:30 p.m. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is expected to attend a Q&A session in parliament.
The opposition accuses Pashinyan of plans to give away all of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan after he told lawmakers last month that the "international community calls on Armenia to scale down demands on Karabakh".
"Don't send your children to school. It is very important that everyone be present in this square. In the coming days, we must definitively record that they (the authorities) have no power. There are more of us day by day, every minute, and we will go all the way," Saghatelyan, who is a deputy parliament speaker, said.
He added that after the removal of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a government of national accord will be formed.
"It will be a provisional government; it will not be a government of one person or party. It will be a national government made up of capable individuals, the best professional members of society who will commit themselves and lead the country out of the current situation,’ he said.
"There are, thank God, such people, and many times we have proved that we are masters of our country and can protect it," he said.
"The authorities claim that if a change of government occurs in Armenia, Azerbaijani President Aliyev will get angry and attack Armenia. You are being deceived. There will be war if Nikol remains in power, because he made a promise to Aliyev, he went down on his knees before the Turk. Either he must fulfill his promise, or there will be a new war. I confidently state - if Nikol leaves, the situation will be different. Stop scaring the people with Aliyev," Saghatelyan said. -0-
