Street Protests Can Force Government to Flee Armenia Seemingly buoyed by the abrupt resignation of the Tunisian president a few days ago after ongoing street demonstrations, Sardarabat Movement member Jirayr Sefilyan stated today that the same scenario could happen in Armenia. "What happened in Tunisia took place in the streets, independent of the parties. I am convinced something similar can happen in Armenia. Never sell the people short. There is no force more powerful than the people," declared Sefilyan.

The Artsakh War vet said they would make no move for systematic change until all preparations had been completed. He gave no deadline for such preparatory work, saying it could take from six months to two years. "Time will tell," Sefilyan stated. "We will present our case when we are ready. We fully understand that there can be no room for failure." The way Sefilyan pictures regime change in Armenia is that the people will take to the streets and force the regime into exile. He said it could all be done peacefully and that the regime would have to ultimately decide whether to leave quietly or resist the will of the people by force. Sefilyan openly declared that this time around, if the regime once again resorts to brute force (referring to the events of March 1, 2008) then the people cannot be expected to sit idly by and must respond in kind. He said that the Sardarabat Movement would continue to urge the political opposition in Armenia not to participate in the parliamentary elections scheduled for May, 2012, or even snap elections. "In essence, no elections take place in Armenia. What does take place can be labeled a type of military operation where the regime constantly hones its skills for political continuation. Today, the authorities can reproduce without much bother."