Political engineer: Strength of young demonstrators against power tariff hike lay in lack of organization
The young people staging rallies against a hike in power tariffs in Armenia reached a certain level of success because they were not politicized, political engineer Karen Kocharyan said at a press conference today.
“Their strength lay in the lack of organization,” Kocharyan said expressing an opinion that the reasons for protests are more profound that an electricity tariff hike. “In general, an atmosphere of distrust has emerged,” Karen Kocharyan noted.
There was no split among the rally participants and organizers, even though there is much talk about it in recent days, K. Kocharyan said. “A normal process is underway. They are determining their further actions and steps. They will come to an agreement,” he said.
As regards police actions, the political engineer said that law enforcement bodies are trying to get out of the current situation as skillfully as possible. They are trying not to create problems and to show Armenia is a democratic country.
K. Kocharyan expressed an opinion that protests are going to gradually ebb and demonstrators on Bagramyan Avenue will disperse. Their further actions will depend of an audit of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) Company, he said.
As reported, the Armenian police removed on July 2, water cannons and armored personnel carriers from Bagramyan Avenue in downtown Yerevan where a rally against the electricity tariff hike is continuing. “We considered it expedient to do it today,” Deputy Chief of Yerevan police Valery Osipyan told reporters. When asked if riot control vehicles could be deployed again tomorrow,” V. Osipyan replied: “Each day requires a specific approach”. As regards the question of whether the police rule out using force, Osipyan said: ‘This is allowed by law, but as you can see, nothing is being done”. Earlier, on July 1 the Armenian police issued a statement urging the rally organizers and participants to show common sense, respect the Constitution, laws, rights and legitimate interests of others and voluntarily end Bagramyan Avenue’s blockade.
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