Aram Manukyan makes opening of the ANC rally.

The opposition alliance Armenian National Congress (ANC) has started its rally in Freedom Square in Yerevan.

Opening the rally, Aram Manukyan, Chairman of the Armenian National Movement (ANM), pointed out that Armenia has entered an active and unprecedented pre-election period, as the issue of changing power has never been so urgent before.

The rally is an informative one, he said.

“The need for a change of power has never been so urgent before. Our task is not only to struggle for our rights and for people’s rights, but also make Armenia an attractive county for Armenians to come here and want to live here,” Manukyan said.

“We respect law. This is an informative rally, and we are going to present our party list and our individual candidates. They are party leaders, who contributed to the movement and were in prison for three years,” Manukyan said.

As regards the list of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Manukyan thanked Armenia’s ruling party for including certain political and public figures in its list. It was a real present from Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan to society, he said.

“I am happy that Khosrov Harutyunyan, different ‘popular instruments,’ the editor of the Iravunk newspaper are on the list. The more Artur Baghdasaryan [Chairman of the Rule of Law party] speaks, the better а resident in the most remote village can understand what they are offering the people,” Manukyan said.