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Hovannisian ends hunger strike, attends Easter Service
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/44905/armvote13_raffi_hovannisian_quits_hunger_strike
VOTE 2013 | 31.03.13 | 12:20
Raffi Hovannisian, a runner-up in last month's presidential ballot
disputing President Serzh Sargsyan's reelection, ended his 21-day
hunger strike in Yerevan's Liberty Square on Sunday and headed for
Holy Echmiadzin to attend an Easter Service together with his family.
Hovannisian thanked his supporters for being next to him during the
last three weeks as well as the police for being nice and kind to him
`despite certain contradictions'.
He said it was as an ordinary follower of the Armenian Apostolic
Church that he was going to Echmiadzin to attend the liturgy where
President Sargsyan and other senior Armenian government officials were
also present.
Hovannisian again said that he will resume trips to the region on
Monday before gathering his supporters for another rally in Yerevan on
April 5.
Earlier this week, President Sargsyan urged his challenger to quit his
hunger strike, recover `for a day or two' and engage in a political
dialogue on ways to end the post-election standoff.
The president said that while he considered Hovannisian's demands for
snap parliamentary elections and several key positions in the next
government as contradicting the principles of state governance and the
Constitution, he was still prepared to begin a dialogue around them.
On Friday Hovannisian said that he would `consult the people' at the
next rally to decide on his actions for April 9, the day when Sargsyan
is due to be sworn in for the second and last consecutive presidential
term.
During his current campaign of protests the opposition leader has
repeatedly said that `this way or that a new Armenia will be sworn in'
on that day. He yet has to elaborate on that.
From: A. Papazian
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/44905/armvote13_raffi_hovannisian_quits_hunger_strike
VOTE 2013 | 31.03.13 | 12:20
Raffi Hovannisian, a runner-up in last month's presidential ballot
disputing President Serzh Sargsyan's reelection, ended his 21-day
hunger strike in Yerevan's Liberty Square on Sunday and headed for
Holy Echmiadzin to attend an Easter Service together with his family.
Hovannisian thanked his supporters for being next to him during the
last three weeks as well as the police for being nice and kind to him
`despite certain contradictions'.
He said it was as an ordinary follower of the Armenian Apostolic
Church that he was going to Echmiadzin to attend the liturgy where
President Sargsyan and other senior Armenian government officials were
also present.
Hovannisian again said that he will resume trips to the region on
Monday before gathering his supporters for another rally in Yerevan on
April 5.
Earlier this week, President Sargsyan urged his challenger to quit his
hunger strike, recover `for a day or two' and engage in a political
dialogue on ways to end the post-election standoff.
The president said that while he considered Hovannisian's demands for
snap parliamentary elections and several key positions in the next
government as contradicting the principles of state governance and the
Constitution, he was still prepared to begin a dialogue around them.
On Friday Hovannisian said that he would `consult the people' at the
next rally to decide on his actions for April 9, the day when Sargsyan
is due to be sworn in for the second and last consecutive presidential
term.
During his current campaign of protests the opposition leader has
repeatedly said that `this way or that a new Armenia will be sworn in'
on that day. He yet has to elaborate on that.
From: A. Papazian