YEREVAN, May 23. /ARKA/. The main mission of the opposition is to prepare for mass acts of disobedience, said Ishkhan Saghatelyan, an MP from Hayastan alliance and representative of the Supreme Body of ARF/Dashnaktsutyun party.
Saghatelyan’s remarks come after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a Monday press conference that Armenia was ready to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan if Baku guarantees the security of its ethnic Armenian population.
“Our mission is to form through a new wave, with a new force in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora a popular resistance, to prepare Armenian citizens for mass popular disobedience,” Saghatelyan said today when speaking to reporters.
Artsvik Minasyan, another opposition MP from ARF/Dashnaktsutyun party, called on all ‘healthy forces to unite their efforts to force Pashinyan and his government to step down as soon as possible’
“I appeal to the Armenian Diaspora and the international community: Nikol Pashinyan is not Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan has no right to surrender Artsakh on behalf of the Armenian people, see Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, trample the rights of Artsakh Armenians, over 90% of whom are also citizens of Armenia,” he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s words about the recognition of Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan do not mean that the decision has already been made, former Artsakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan said in an interview with Russian Dozhd TV channel..
“Moreover, it does not mean that this decision will be implemented. Pashinyan has no right to make decisions for the people of Artsakh, who live independently. There are a huge number of restrictions in the Armenian legislation, and they do not allow one person to make such decisions. Thirdly, when Pashinyan himself came to power, he said that no one has the right to make such decisions but the people of Artsakh,” Vardanyan said.
He suggested not to dramatize the situation now. “I believe that the announcement that Pashinyan made is his personal opinion, which he is trying to impose on the people. But it will not be accepted, and I believe that the majority of people will consolidate and demand a referendum,” Vardanyan said.
According to him, the referendum is needed so that the head of the Armenian government once again is personally convinced that the people living in Artsakh and Armenia are united in their total disagreement with the Armenian leadership, and consider it impossible to recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan.
“The will of the people is above all. Therefore, the 120 thousand people living in Artsakh, including 30 thousand children, have the right to determine their own future. No one can impose these decisions from the outside,” the former state minister said.
Source: arka