YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia is on the threshold of very serious political developments, and for overcoming a number of challenges in the country the authorities should first create an atmosphere of national consent. Armenian National Congress representative Levon Zurabian gave assurance at the April 28 press conference. However, in his words, at present the authorities have chosen just the opposite way. "They continue the repressive war against their own people launched on 2008 March 1: 55 political prisoners are kept in prisons, the rights of holding free gatherings and legal elections are violated," L. Zurabian said. According to him, before solving all-national problems the Armenian authorities should solve problems within the nation. According to L. Zurabian, today we should consider not the "road map" of Armenian-Turkish relations, but the "road map" of internal national reconciliation. That is, according to him, the political prisoners should be released, democratic freedoms should be restored in the country, etc. L. Zurabian said that holding legal elections of Yerevan Council of Elders on May 31 is an issue of principle for ANC. "Unless we win legal elections, we will accept that defeat quietly. However, already all processes show that the authorities are not ready for holding legal elections. They have already launched a huge process of offences," he said.

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