At a press conference held today, HAK coordinator Levon Zurabyan responded to criticsm that by refusing to take seats in the new Yerevan municipal council the opposition political alliance had disillusioned its supporters. Mr. Zurabyan noted that it would indeed be wrong if HAK renounced its seats in the council won through free and fair elections but that the votyes tallied by HAK were "granted" as a result of the manipulations of the regime. "If we received mandates directly from the people, through a fair electoral process, we would have wound up with thirty five seats in the council not the 12-13 that the regime is throwing our way. The mandates we wound up with are the result of a fraudulent vote and thus we reject them outright," stated Mr. Zurabyan. He stated that even in the case of a rigged parliamentary election the HAK could take its seats and try to push through its political agenda. "The municipal council can't even serve that purpose. We could have advanced our political agenda had we come out on top in the elections and won the post of mayor. We could have pushed through our governmental reform package. As it stands now, we can only have an impact on minor issues," Mr. Zurabyan said. When asked if he believed in the rumors that the Prosperous Party of Armenia, led by Gagik Tzarukyan, might also refuse to seat in the council, Mr. Zurabyan responded that he didn't think the party possesses the courage to take such a step.