A coalition of opposition parties and groups disputing the outcome of last Sunday’s constitutional referendum will stage rallies in Armenia’s provinces next week. This was announced during a Friday rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square held by activists and supporters of the “New Armenia” Public Salvation Front (NAPSF).
Addressing a crowd of several hundred, NAPSF leaders again slammed the government over what they claimed was a fraudulent vote and said they were determined to continue to seek a regime change through street demonstrations.
According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), more than 63 percent of voters favored the government-backed reform under which Armenia will become a parliamentary republic, with 32 percent casting their votes against it.
Leading opposition groups in Armenia consider the changes to be a ploy designed to keep President Serzh Sargsyan in power beyond 2018 when the pre-amended version of the Constitution would have barred him from seeking a third consecutive term. Government representatives, however, deny any ulterior motives behind the amendments.
Representatives of the government and the ruling Republican Party have also dismissed allegations of widespread fraud made by opposition members and some local observers. They say separate violations and irregularities observed during the process could not impact the overall outcome of the ballot.
NAPSF leaders, meanwhile, announced that they will continue to have daily “informational” meetings in Liberty Square in the coming days, while on December 16 and 17 they are going to take their rallies to the provinces of Armenia before a “big rally” in Yerevan scheduled for December 18.
Meanwhile, another opposition alliance formed around the main opposition Armenian National Congress has filed a formal application with the CEC demanding that the outcome of the December 6 referendum be recognized as null and void.
So far, rallies called by the opposition forces in Yerevan have been attended by a few hundred to a few thousand, and in general have lacked the show of mass support that bolstered the opposition in 2008 and 2013 presidential elections.
Source: Armenianow