S. Grigorian: The situation should be resolved through negotiations

It is a positive thing that rallies have been held in Armenia after the presidential election and people have the opportunity to express their disagreement and opinions, political scientist Stepan Grigorian told the correspondent of Aysor.am when assessing the post-election developments.

He called rallies a necessity. “Many reforms were implemented in the electoral system, but some gaps still remain, affecting further developments in the political life,” he noted.

Grigorian did not share the opinion that Raffi Hovannisian and the authorities have come to some agreements and all this is just a “game”.

“Not respecting those who voted for Raffi Hovannisian is incorrect: 531 thousand votes are no laughing matter. The problem of how to resolve the situation between Raffi Hovannisian and the authorities is another matter. I think it should be done through negotiations, and a precedent already exists,” the expert said.

According to him, although the first meeting of Raffi Hovannisian and Serzh Sargsyan did not give any results, they should continue to meet. “The authorities should be prepared to respond to this wave of protests, while the opposition should try to avoid a confrontation and seek solutions by negotiations,” Grigorian noted.

He believes that the wave of protests will not ebb easily, but it is evident that during the second “round” of Hovannisian-Sargsyan negotiations, R. Hovannisain’s demands will be considered seriously.