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ARF Leader on Raffi's Hunger Strike: All Avenues of Struggle Were Not Exhausted
Posted by Weekly Staff on March 12, 2013 in News
YEREVAN (A.W.)-ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovanessian visited Raffi
Hovannisian on Freedom Square to express solidarity with the opposition
leader, two days after the latter started a hunger strike.
Vahan Hovanessian speaks to journalists on Freedom Square
Vahan Hovanessian had a brief conversation-not audible to
journalists-with Raffi Hovannisian, telling journalists surrounding
them, "I am not here to see you."
But when asked what he thought about Raffi Hovannisian's hunger strike,
the ARF leader said, "That, I can tell you. I think this is taking
it to an extreme. Everything aside, Mr. Hovannisian has earned a
large number of votes. I don't think all avenues of struggle were
exhausted. This is my honest conviction."
He added, "Of course, I am not here to give lessons or advice; I am
here to express my solidarity. But I would have loved to express that
solidarity in other arenas, and not here."
Asked what else Raffi could have done, the ARF Bureau member said
that his party has answered that question repeatedly.
The ARF argues that regime change can be accomplished gradually,
starting with the Yerevan municipal elections in May. Negotiations
between opposition parties to form an opposition front in recent days
have not yielded concrete results yet.
On March 10, Raffi Hovannisian said during a rally that on April 9,
Serge Sarkisian will be sworn in as president "over my dead body,"
adding that he will start a hunger strike on Freedom Square.
"If on April 9, Sarkisian takes his fake oath on the Holy Bible,
and if the Catholicos desecrates the Bible and blesses the candidate
[Sarkisian] who mocks the people, then that will happen over my dead
body," he had said.
Raffi Hovannisian has since remained on Freedom Square, where several
political leaders and thousands of supporters have visited him to
express solidarity with the barevolution leader.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/03/12/arf-leader-on-raffis-hunger-strike-all-avenues-of-struggle-were-not-exhausted/
Posted by Weekly Staff on March 12, 2013 in News
YEREVAN (A.W.)-ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovanessian visited Raffi
Hovannisian on Freedom Square to express solidarity with the opposition
leader, two days after the latter started a hunger strike.
Vahan Hovanessian speaks to journalists on Freedom Square
Vahan Hovanessian had a brief conversation-not audible to
journalists-with Raffi Hovannisian, telling journalists surrounding
them, "I am not here to see you."
But when asked what he thought about Raffi Hovannisian's hunger strike,
the ARF leader said, "That, I can tell you. I think this is taking
it to an extreme. Everything aside, Mr. Hovannisian has earned a
large number of votes. I don't think all avenues of struggle were
exhausted. This is my honest conviction."
He added, "Of course, I am not here to give lessons or advice; I am
here to express my solidarity. But I would have loved to express that
solidarity in other arenas, and not here."
Asked what else Raffi could have done, the ARF Bureau member said
that his party has answered that question repeatedly.
The ARF argues that regime change can be accomplished gradually,
starting with the Yerevan municipal elections in May. Negotiations
between opposition parties to form an opposition front in recent days
have not yielded concrete results yet.
On March 10, Raffi Hovannisian said during a rally that on April 9,
Serge Sarkisian will be sworn in as president "over my dead body,"
adding that he will start a hunger strike on Freedom Square.
"If on April 9, Sarkisian takes his fake oath on the Holy Bible,
and if the Catholicos desecrates the Bible and blesses the candidate
[Sarkisian] who mocks the people, then that will happen over my dead
body," he had said.
Raffi Hovannisian has since remained on Freedom Square, where several
political leaders and thousands of supporters have visited him to
express solidarity with the barevolution leader.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/03/12/arf-leader-on-raffis-hunger-strike-all-avenues-of-struggle-were-not-exhausted/