People’s Party leader Tigran Karapetyan, head of a marginal but vibrant following, stated at a rally in Yerevan on Wednesday afternoon that he is giving the Armenian authorities until February 28 to meet his "justice-seeking" movement's demands, or else he will declare a drive for early elections.

“We will begin to struggle for the rights of political prisoners jailed in the wake of the 2008 presidential election, we will demand that pensions and minimum wages be raised, etc,” stated Karapetyan addressing his supporters near ancient manuscripts museum Matenadaran in downtown Yerevan, voicing concerns that, while raising passion, are not unique to the People’s Party platform.

On December 16, the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR), considering the results of a competition, ruled to deprive ALM TV of its channel, which prompted Karapetyan, the owner of the television company, to start a series of rallies in Yerevan and the regions. While Karapetyan’s political influence is minimal, he nonetheless enjoys the popular support of thousands who have followed his call for change via his television programming.

The Wednesday rally organized by his People’s Party appeared no less in number than those recently organized by Armenia’s main opposition Armenian National Congress of former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. An estimated 5,000-7,000 people had turned out to occupy space from Matenadaran down the start of Mashtots Boulevard.

“I have always watched ALM’s science programs, besides I am concerned with problems of my country and I am against any restriction of free speech,” one of the rally participants Sasun Mkhitaryan, 73, told ArmeniaNow, proudly showing a document certifying that he was the first fidayi, or martyr warrier, in the Karabakh war.