Ex-President Kocharyan To Lead Opposition Bloc In Armenia's June Elections

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th May, 2021) Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on Sunday officially established an opposition bloc together with two other parties, the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the Reviving Armenia, to run in snap parliamentary elections in June.

The alliance was formally announced in Yerevan at a rally of Kocharyan's supporters, a Sputnik correspondent at the scene reported. The memorandum on the creation of the bloc was signed by Kocharyan and the leaders of the ARF and the Reviving Armenia, Ishkhan Saghatelyan and Vahe Hakobyan, respectively.

"The country is facing difficult challenges, such as security threats, an economic crisis, a crisis of governance and identity. We need strength, people who have experience in overcoming such crises," Kocharyan said in his address to supporters.

He argued that the current government should step down after failing to ensure economic growth and leading the country to financial crisis and recession.

"Poverty, external debt increased, investments trickled down to zero.

The government did not fulfill any of its promises," Kocharyan stated.

The ex-president also pledged, in case of the bloc's success in the elections, to assess the damage in all sectors and to plan the anti-crisis management accordingly in order to re-establish Armenia's image as a reliable partner.

"Our proposal will be that of a working country, a construction site with tens of thousands of jobs ... We will do everything to support small and medium-sized businesses, build a science-based economy and advanced agriculture, and improve the living standards of our citizens," he said.

Additionally, the ex-president urged two other former leaders, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Serzh Sargsyan, to join him in the fight against the current government.

Thousands of people reportedly gathered at the Freedom Square in Central Yerevan for the demonstration in Kocharyan's support.

Incumbent Nikol Pashinyan called parliamentary elections for June 20 before announcing his resignation on April 25. He is serving as acting prime minister at the moment.