There will be no revolution in Armenia: Gagik Tsarukyan cancels rally and calls people to peace

The leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan has called on the opposition and the government to solve the existing problems by peaceful, legal and political means.

“So as to be able to solve the existing problems, we must stop fighting, calm down and try to jointly find and realize solutions,” Tsarukyan said.

He said that in recent days the situation in Armenia has been developing in quite a different direction. “This is a way to nowhere. It is not hard to imagine what this may lead to in a few weeks. This will hardly benefit our people. I value the life and dignity of each Armenian citizen and believe that no goal can justify shedding blood of an innocent man. The authorities and the opposition must not go beyond the reach of reason and must try to solve all the existing problems by legal and political means,” Tsarukyan said.

The Political Council of Prosperous Armenia has cancelled the rally to be held in Yerevan on Feb 20. Earlier, they said that the Yerevan authorities created illegal obstacles to the rally.

“In order to avoid possible provocations and clashes, we have decided to cancel the rally and to hold political consultations so as to find political solutions to the existing situation,” the party says.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met with Tsarukyan on Feb 17. The mediator was the Armenian revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun. The owner of Tashir Group Samvel Karapetyan came to Yerevan a day before. His goal was also to reconcile Tsarukyan and Sargsyan.

In his earlier speech, the Armenian president called Tsarukyan “an evil” and “a pseudo-politician” and promised to clean the country’s political arena from such people. He also accused Tsarukyan of failing to pay billions in taxes.

In response, Tsarukyan urged the Armenian society to mobilize and to topple Sargsyan.