Opposition party ready for dialogue only after political prisoners are set free

The Armenian Pan-National Movement party (APNM) has nothing to talk about with the ruling authorities, APNM Board Chairman Aram Manukyan told a press conference today.

Mr Manukyan’s statement comes after the Secretary of Prosperous Armenia (PA) party’s parliamentary faction, Aram Safaryan, said that the ruling parliamentary coalition will discuss the release of political prisoners.

“The number one issue, i.e. the release of political prisoners, that the authorities must resolve, has been raised for several times, as well as in the speeches [former president] Levon Ter-Petrosyan has delivered during the rallies,” said he.

The next important issue, according, to Mr Manukyan, is the organization of the investigation of the 10 deaths caused during the March 1-2 events that followed the 2008 disputed presidential elections in Armenia.

“Only after that can there be a topic of dialogue, i.e. handing down the power or holding upcoming [meaning “early”] elections,” said Mr Manukyan.