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STILL WAITING FOR SARGSYAN: HUNGER-STRIKING HOVANNISIAN SAYS 'DE FACTO' PRESIDENT NOW HAS TO COME TO LIBERTY SQUARE
VOTE 2013 | 12.03.13 | 10:56
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian, who went on hunger strike last
Sunday as part of his current protest against the outcome of the
February 18 presidential election, has accused the presidential
administration of lying about his response to a proposed meeting.
At a Monday evening press conference in Yerevan's Liberty Square,
the venue where he is holding his protest action, the 53-year-old
candidate who claims to have been robbed of victory in the election
officially won by incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, insisted that
he did not reject the proposal of the presidential administration
for a meeting with the president. He said that the proposal was made
by Chief of Presidential Staff Vigen Sargsyan (no relation to the
president) in a phone conversation with Heritage Party representative
Armen Martirosyan. Hovannisian made it clear that he wouldn't meet
with President Sargsyan in his office anymore, he was still ready to
receive him in the square. (The presidential spokesman earlier said
that Hovannisian had declined the proposal).
Hovannisian and Sargsyan met on February 21 when the Heritage party
leader personally went to the presidential compound. After the
meeting, however, the opposition leader said that President Sargsyan
had rejected all of his proposals. After that, during his rallies he
periodically spoke about his readiness to meet with the president
again anywhere, including in his office, in order to discuss ways
out of the situation.
But now, after he started his hunger strike, the opposition leader
rules out his going to the president's office again for talks.
"The next time I go there will be as an elected representative. I
myself went there and stated my readiness to go again, but now
mutual willingness and readiness is needed to recognize the victory
of the people, to overcome this national chasm. And until now I have
received zero, none [response] from Mr. Sargsyan. This is already his
opportunity for a sober assessment of the situation," said Hovannisian.
Statements and comments being heard from the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) led by President Sargsyan mainly qualify Hovannisian's
hunger strike as a provocation aimed at destabilizing the country. At
the same time, senior RPA member Galust Sahakyan does not rule out
that Sargsyan may visit Hovannisian.
"Whether he visits or not, I don't think that it will feed the
people... Of course, if the public needs that, then the president
is tolerant of it, as much as needed," said Sahakyan at a press
conference.
Meanwhile, Hovannisian, who demands that Sargsyan "recognize the
victory of the people and hold new elections" and is also disputing
the election results also at the Constitutional Court, declared that
he was ready to stay in Liberty Square until April 9, the day of
presidential inauguration, waiting for Sargsyan's "withdrawal".
"And on April 9, after long pangs, a New Armenia will be born,"
said Hovannisian, without elaborating.
And while Hovannisian is waiting for Sargsyan, he is being visited
by various public and political figures, scholars and intellectuals.
Among those who visited him on Monday were Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP) representative Vartan Oskanian, Hanrapetutyun Party leader
Aram Sargsyan, People's Party of Armenia Chairman Stepan Demirchyan,
former Speaker of Parliament Tigran Torosyan, Republican MP Margarit
Yesayan, Armenian National Congress lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, former
presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan and others.
No details of the Hovannisian-Oskanian meeting are known yet. It is
expected that PAP will issue a statement on the latest developments,
including Hovannisian's hunger strike, in coming days.
Talking to media, Hanrapetutyun party leader Sargsyan said that if
opposition factions in the National Assembly give up their mandates
and people who voted for Hovannisian attend the opposition leader's
Friday rally, it will change the political situation in the country
and "no dictator can resist it."
VOTE 2013 | 12.03.13 | 10:56
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian, who went on hunger strike last
Sunday as part of his current protest against the outcome of the
February 18 presidential election, has accused the presidential
administration of lying about his response to a proposed meeting.
At a Monday evening press conference in Yerevan's Liberty Square,
the venue where he is holding his protest action, the 53-year-old
candidate who claims to have been robbed of victory in the election
officially won by incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, insisted that
he did not reject the proposal of the presidential administration
for a meeting with the president. He said that the proposal was made
by Chief of Presidential Staff Vigen Sargsyan (no relation to the
president) in a phone conversation with Heritage Party representative
Armen Martirosyan. Hovannisian made it clear that he wouldn't meet
with President Sargsyan in his office anymore, he was still ready to
receive him in the square. (The presidential spokesman earlier said
that Hovannisian had declined the proposal).
Hovannisian and Sargsyan met on February 21 when the Heritage party
leader personally went to the presidential compound. After the
meeting, however, the opposition leader said that President Sargsyan
had rejected all of his proposals. After that, during his rallies he
periodically spoke about his readiness to meet with the president
again anywhere, including in his office, in order to discuss ways
out of the situation.
But now, after he started his hunger strike, the opposition leader
rules out his going to the president's office again for talks.
"The next time I go there will be as an elected representative. I
myself went there and stated my readiness to go again, but now
mutual willingness and readiness is needed to recognize the victory
of the people, to overcome this national chasm. And until now I have
received zero, none [response] from Mr. Sargsyan. This is already his
opportunity for a sober assessment of the situation," said Hovannisian.
Statements and comments being heard from the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) led by President Sargsyan mainly qualify Hovannisian's
hunger strike as a provocation aimed at destabilizing the country. At
the same time, senior RPA member Galust Sahakyan does not rule out
that Sargsyan may visit Hovannisian.
"Whether he visits or not, I don't think that it will feed the
people... Of course, if the public needs that, then the president
is tolerant of it, as much as needed," said Sahakyan at a press
conference.
Meanwhile, Hovannisian, who demands that Sargsyan "recognize the
victory of the people and hold new elections" and is also disputing
the election results also at the Constitutional Court, declared that
he was ready to stay in Liberty Square until April 9, the day of
presidential inauguration, waiting for Sargsyan's "withdrawal".
"And on April 9, after long pangs, a New Armenia will be born,"
said Hovannisian, without elaborating.
And while Hovannisian is waiting for Sargsyan, he is being visited
by various public and political figures, scholars and intellectuals.
Among those who visited him on Monday were Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP) representative Vartan Oskanian, Hanrapetutyun Party leader
Aram Sargsyan, People's Party of Armenia Chairman Stepan Demirchyan,
former Speaker of Parliament Tigran Torosyan, Republican MP Margarit
Yesayan, Armenian National Congress lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, former
presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan and others.
No details of the Hovannisian-Oskanian meeting are known yet. It is
expected that PAP will issue a statement on the latest developments,
including Hovannisian's hunger strike, in coming days.
Talking to media, Hanrapetutyun party leader Sargsyan said that if
opposition factions in the National Assembly give up their mandates
and people who voted for Hovannisian attend the opposition leader's
Friday rally, it will change the political situation in the country
and "no dictator can resist it."