Standing before tens of thousands of citizens at Liberty Square, Raffi K. Hovhannisyan unveiled yesterday what he called “the authorities’ last chance” to meet the people half way and to create together a New Armenia.
The document, which was read aloud then sent to the presidential office, gave voice to two possibilities: 1) the immediate conduct of new presidential elections, or 2) a comprehensive power-sharing deal between the people and their de facto authorities.
“The time for change has come,” Hovhannisyan proclaimed. “Either the authorities will change their attitude toward the people, or the people will rise to change their authorities once and for all. One way or the other, on April 9, we shall have our New Armenia.”
The document presented by Raffi K. Hovhannisyan:
A) The immediate conduct of new presidential elections
or
B) The sharing of power between the authorities and the people
1. The conduct, by the end of the year, of snap parliamentary elections. The implementation, before then, of revisions in the Election Code—to eliminate the majoritarian electoral system and to realize a transition to a completely proportional system; to allow for the publication of lists of citizens who actually voted; to reinstate the political-party principle in the formation of the Central Election Commission and district election commissions; to secure the participation of citizens living abroad or to ensure the removal of their names from the voter lists.
2. The removal of at least five regional governors, to be replaced by candidates proposed by Raffi K. Hovhannisyan.
3. The removal of all city and village mayors who violated the law and their own authority in falsification of the outcome of the February 18 elections.
4. The prosecution of all election falsifiers, including governors, mayors, party organizers, and other officials.
5. The appointment of candidates proposed by Raffi K. Hovhannisyan to head the following ministries and government offices:
a. Prosecutor General
b. Tax and Customs
c. National Security
d. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
e. Education and Science
f. Oversight Chamber
g. Justice Council
h. Anti-Corruption Commission
This contract is indivisible and is subject to bilateral signature. Its provisions shall remain in force until the conclusion of the snap parliamentary elections.
