YEREVAN (Yerkir)—With five days left to the parliamentary elections in Armenia, Armenian Revolutionary Federation candidates used the May 1 international Labor day holiday to drive home the message that that, as citizens, Armenians have the right to create their own future and decide their own fate.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Hrazdan, the chairman of the ARF’s parliamentary bloc Vahan Hovannesian said that May 1 will become a holiday again, because the citizens will take matters into their own hands at the polling booths on Sunday.

He argued that as a result of the current regime in Armenia, the labor force has diminished and “bunch of people” have taken all advantages away from that force.

Hovannesian added that “each individual is not a resident, but a citizen. And citizens are the own everything.”

“We demand three simple things: Freedom, Justice and Dashnaktsutiune,” said Hovannesian, explaining “freedom and justice have been stolen from us. There is not justice in city hall, in the regional bodies, in government or in the judicial system.

He added that the government does not have the ability to properly govern and is shamefully seeking to reclaim its positions.

Hovanessian urged the participants of the rally to make their choices freely.

“Don’t forget, you are a free people. You have never been slaves nor will you ever be. We will not allow that. We are seeing that people are slowly rising up,” said Hovannesian, who urged all to take part in the elections on May 6 and vote.

Another ARF candidate Lilit Galstyan told the Hrazdan rally that on May 6 “together we will vote YES for a new Armenia.”

She said that if the current regime continues to stay in power, the depletion of Armenia’s population will continue.

“We do not want to live in an Armenia where are rights have been trampled upon, they have turned us into slaves. We are convinced that we have the right to live a life of freedom, justice and dignity,” said Galstyan.

Echoing his colleagues, ARF Supreme Council of Armenia representative Armen Rustamian also used the May 1 holiday to reinvigorate the voter base, and emphasize the imperative for regime change in Armenia.

Rustmaian argued that under the current regime, poverty and unemployment have skyrocketed and it is the voters’ right and responsibility to alter that to ensure future May 1 celebrations.