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NO CHANGES IN HOVANNISIAN-SARGSYAN STANDOFF: SIDES EXCHANGE LETTERS AS OPPOSITION LEADER CONTINUES HUNGER STRIKE
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian disputing the February 18 official
presidential election results, said commenting on the suggestions
he had made to incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan, that he is not
bargaining with the authorities, it is not a deal offer, and that he
is unwilling to assume any post in the future government.
To Sargsyan's appeal for Hovannisian to stop his hunger strike
and start a dialogue, Hovannisian replied with a letter on Tuesday
inviting him to Liberty Square to commence that dialogue or to send
in writing his further suggestions.
The Heritage leader now on the 17th day of hunger strike is demanding
from President Sargsyan to either hold snap presidential elections
or early parliamentary elections this year, punish those involved in
ballot rigging, and give five governors' positions and administration
of key spheres to Hovannisian-appointed people.
The official runner up in the race, Hovannisian believes that his
demands are the minimum requirements to resolve the situation at hand
and that they imply "shared responsibility between the authorities
and the people".
"The complex of solutions I have sent to Mr. Sargsyan is undividable,
so if Mr. Sargsyan makes up his mind to meet tet-a-tet and discuss,
he has to consider that those are our minimum threshold. It does not
mean that he cannot delete one point, but he would have to replace
it with an equivalent one," said Hovannisian.
Hovannisian said he would decide when to stop the hunger strike and
that he would no more go to the presidential residence and wants
people to witness the negotiations either at Liberty Square or in
one of the Opera House's loggias, or at an adjoining cafe.
"I believe that in terms of political culture it would be very
educational to meet at a cafe, and so people would witness how two
citizens of Armenia are trying to find a solution to this pan-national
issue formed as a consequence of the stolen ballot on February 18,"
he said.
Hovannisian, who two years ago went on a 15-day hunger strike and has
now broken his own "record", today, on day 17 of his hunger strike,
seems rather active and "up and running" despite weight-loss and
weathered skin. He assures he is feeling very well and is no stranger
to this condition.
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian disputing the February 18 official
presidential election results, said commenting on the suggestions
he had made to incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan, that he is not
bargaining with the authorities, it is not a deal offer, and that he
is unwilling to assume any post in the future government.
To Sargsyan's appeal for Hovannisian to stop his hunger strike
and start a dialogue, Hovannisian replied with a letter on Tuesday
inviting him to Liberty Square to commence that dialogue or to send
in writing his further suggestions.
The Heritage leader now on the 17th day of hunger strike is demanding
from President Sargsyan to either hold snap presidential elections
or early parliamentary elections this year, punish those involved in
ballot rigging, and give five governors' positions and administration
of key spheres to Hovannisian-appointed people.
The official runner up in the race, Hovannisian believes that his
demands are the minimum requirements to resolve the situation at hand
and that they imply "shared responsibility between the authorities
and the people".
"The complex of solutions I have sent to Mr. Sargsyan is undividable,
so if Mr. Sargsyan makes up his mind to meet tet-a-tet and discuss,
he has to consider that those are our minimum threshold. It does not
mean that he cannot delete one point, but he would have to replace
it with an equivalent one," said Hovannisian.
Hovannisian said he would decide when to stop the hunger strike and
that he would no more go to the presidential residence and wants
people to witness the negotiations either at Liberty Square or in
one of the Opera House's loggias, or at an adjoining cafe.
"I believe that in terms of political culture it would be very
educational to meet at a cafe, and so people would witness how two
citizens of Armenia are trying to find a solution to this pan-national
issue formed as a consequence of the stolen ballot on February 18,"
he said.
Hovannisian, who two years ago went on a 15-day hunger strike and has
now broken his own "record", today, on day 17 of his hunger strike,
seems rather active and "up and running" despite weight-loss and
weathered skin. He assures he is feeling very well and is no stranger
to this condition.