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Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan, the leader of the Armenia bloc running in the June 20 snap parliamentary elections, highlighted the large-scale construction carried out in the town of Spitak in Armenia’s Lori Province after the 1988 devastating earthquake.

"The best motivation for me to increase the construction volumes was how I would look people in the eye during my next trip to Spitak. The restoration of the disaster-hit area was a matter of honor and duty for me," the ex-president said, addressing voters in the town on Saturday.

He recalled that the country’s financial resources were not much at that time, but “the road was always open” for builders. He said their work encouraged both Diaspora Armenians and even non-Armenians to support the reconstruction in the quake zone.

Kocharyan recalled that during his rule many districts, houses and schools were built in the disaster zone. “Now a very natural question arises, if nothing has been done by the government in Spitak for three years, how do they dare to come here, hold a campaign rally in this very square and ask you to trust them?” he said.

According to the Armenia bloc leader, the current authorities are “turning Armenia into ruins”, and his team is coming to restore security, peace and ensure an economic upswing.

“I assure you, after June 20 you will have a government for which it will be a matter of honor to look you in the eye every time we come here and say what we have done every year, that will be our goal," Kocharyan said. "I have missed you a lot, I have not met you for a long time. I am very glad that you have not forgotten the work that has been done here and assure you, dear Spitak citizens, everything will be fine.”

After the rally, the Armenia bloc members paid tribute to the Spitak earthquake victims, laying flowers at the monument dedicated to them.