ArmInfo."13 years ago, our state and society were hit hard when a citizen protest challenging the official election results was faced with point-blank shots." With these words, RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan addressed the citizens of Armenia on the occasion of the anniversary of the March 2008 events.
"From that moment on, our reality passed into a stage of dull tension, when, guided by narrow clan and personal interests, a group of people decided that the power belongs to them," he noted in his address. He noted that, thus, the state was alienated from the people, and the citizen felt in his own skin that not only his absolute and unshakable right to life was not protected, but was also directly encroached by the state. According to Avinyan, at the heart of the 2018 revolution, when society refused to submit to the dictatorship, was the intention to correct this injustice and return power to the people.
Making a revolution, the Armenian society decided that there would no longer be "March 1" in Armenia, and unarmed peaceful protesters would not be shot. Power will not belong to a group of people, and will not be transferred through behind-the-scenes agreements and determined by secret and narrow clan interests, the deputy prime minister said.
He stressed that today, taking advantage of the emotional state of society, attempts are being made to undermine democracy in Armenia, bypass the constitutional and legal procedures of the people's government, thus resolving political issues.
In this context, Avinyan stressed that such attempts by the opposition are doomed to failure: "The government in Armenia will be formed exclusively within the framework of the constitutional order, through the free expression of the will of the society and free, fair and transparent elections. It should be noted that as a result of clashes at opposition rallies following the 2008 presidential elections in Armenia, in which Serzh Sargsyan won de jure, 10 people died on March 1.
Recall that the current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was then an active supporter of Levon Ter- Petrosyan, who de jure lost the elections, but claimed that the election results were falsified. After the events of March 1, 2008, Pashinyan was sentenced to 7 years on charges of organizing mass riots, but after serving 2 years, he was released.