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FROM ONE DEFEATED "WINNER" TO ANOTHER: TO FIGHT OUTCOME WITH RALLIES IS POINTLESS
VOTE 2013 | 20.02.13 | 14:47
Photolure
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Former oppositional candidate Vazgen Manukyan, who ran for presidency
and lost in the second elections of independent Armenia (1996),
believes that current oppositional favorite Raffi Hovannisian now has
two options - either to accept the election results, or keep holding
rallies, which experience has proven to be ineffective.
Incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan has been pronounced the official
winner of the February 18 presidential elections by preliminary count,
while Hovannisian came second in the big race. Hovannisian and his
supporters claim that the official results were forged and say they
are planning to fight the outcome.
History seems to be repeating, as back in 1996 Vazgen Manukyan,
now chairing the Public Council on appointment by Sargsyan, was in
a similar position, and says that ever since then "we have entered a
wrong cycle, but that cycle is coming to an end with these elections".
"I believe that although these were not the 100-percent clean elections
we were anticipating in 1996, but as compared to all the previous ones,
these elections have been cleaner," says Manukyan.
According to the former single oppositional candidate for presidency,
Hovannisian has two ways and is the only one who can decide which
way to go.
"Hovannisian either has to declare that he accepts the election
results and does not appeal them despite the election fraud, and it
would become a new unique page in the history of the third republic;
or he can follow the second way - the one that has become a pattern
with rallies which would gradually fade away," says Manukyan, adding
that the second option so far has done no good to people.
Manukyan says the high number of votes trusted to Hovannisian
demonstrate also that the discontent with the authorities is greater
than one could have expected and the authorities have to take that
into account.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
VOTE 2013 | 20.02.13 | 14:47
Photolure
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Former oppositional candidate Vazgen Manukyan, who ran for presidency
and lost in the second elections of independent Armenia (1996),
believes that current oppositional favorite Raffi Hovannisian now has
two options - either to accept the election results, or keep holding
rallies, which experience has proven to be ineffective.
Incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan has been pronounced the official
winner of the February 18 presidential elections by preliminary count,
while Hovannisian came second in the big race. Hovannisian and his
supporters claim that the official results were forged and say they
are planning to fight the outcome.
History seems to be repeating, as back in 1996 Vazgen Manukyan,
now chairing the Public Council on appointment by Sargsyan, was in
a similar position, and says that ever since then "we have entered a
wrong cycle, but that cycle is coming to an end with these elections".
"I believe that although these were not the 100-percent clean elections
we were anticipating in 1996, but as compared to all the previous ones,
these elections have been cleaner," says Manukyan.
According to the former single oppositional candidate for presidency,
Hovannisian has two ways and is the only one who can decide which
way to go.
"Hovannisian either has to declare that he accepts the election
results and does not appeal them despite the election fraud, and it
would become a new unique page in the history of the third republic;
or he can follow the second way - the one that has become a pattern
with rallies which would gradually fade away," says Manukyan, adding
that the second option so far has done no good to people.
Manukyan says the high number of votes trusted to Hovannisian
demonstrate also that the discontent with the authorities is greater
than one could have expected and the authorities have to take that
into account.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress