Anti-government movement in Armenia not fading out–opposition leader

YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. An opposition leader Iskhan Saghatelyan, who has been leading a campaign of civil disobedience for more than a month already to make PM Nikol Pashinyan resign, downplayed today fears that the anti-government movement is fading out.

Speaking ahead of today’s protest march, Saghatelyan, who is an MP from Hayastan alliance and a deputy parliament speaker, said the movement’s collapse would mean a defeat for the Armenian people.

The anti-government movement, according to him, is purely Armenian and ‘the main achievement is that the whole world now knows that Armenians are not going to be defeated and are not ready for new concessions (to Azerbaijan).’

As for the small number of protesters, Saghatelyan said there was no goal to attract a large number of people to the morning protest marches.

"Everything we did was very effective, but we need to change our strategy," Saghatelyan said.

According to him, there are secret processes going on behind the backs of the Armenian people that threaten the security of Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

"At the moment - the main task is to achieve the resignation of the government, to unite people," Saghatelyan said.

The opposition protested Friday morning outside the presidential residence, where a meeting of foreign ministers from CSTO member countries began. Their way was blocked by numerous police forces. After several speeches, the protesters returned to France Square, where they had earlier set up a tent camp.

The opposition accuses PM Nikol Pashinyan of preparing to cede Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Pashinyan and his ally deny the accusation. -0-