There are controversial opinions on who has taken offense at the Heritage Party and who has decided to leave. Today Karine Hakobyan, now the former secretary of the party executive committee, continued claiming at a press conference that faction secretary Larisa Alaverdyan had stated during a meeting of the executive committee that she abandoned the election struggle through both proportional and majoritarian representation, “She didn’t mention that it was because of the lists, but I think everyone knows the reason. Now Larisa Alaverdyan has agreed to be in the very symbolic 41st place to support the Heritage Party morally. Being in the 41st place basically means abandoning the electoral competition.”
Although Larisa Alaverdyan denied that she had made such a statement, “Various opinions – also that – were expressed during discussions. However, it was a discussion, all of us said many things, but the important thing is the final decision. It is not polite to talk about the discussion among us.”
Karine Hakobyan assures that the list was a surprise not only for her, many people were surprised and expressed their discontent, but since Raffi Hovhannisyan made them famous, they don’t express it openly. Anahit Bakhshyan admitted that she hadn’t participated in drawing up the list and it had been a surprise for her, but It hadn’t been drawn up by Raffi Hovhannisyan alone, “He said that he would not slam his hand down on the table and say it would be so. We discussed it for 3 hours, 23 voted in favor and 4 abstained.”
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In response to our question whether she was offended by the 14th place, Ms. Bakhshyan assured that no, “I begin to understand what Raffi Hovhannisyan wants to say by this. I realized that Raffi knew something and had done the right thing. For Armen and me it is an honor to be in the 14th and 16th places. Raffi offered us an opportunity 5 years ago and we have gotten experience, skill and knowledge. When we came in 2007, none of us contributed a dime and he spent a lot of money, trusted us, invested money in me, in order that I became mature as a politician, in order that Zaruhi, Styopa and Armen matured. We are grateful and understand. Even if a thought occurs to one that he was this and he has done this, he tries to drive away that thought next to Raffi, because it is shameful thinking of such things next to such a leader, not to mention expressing those – I will neither do that, nor respect the person who will allow herself to do that. Besides, the 14th and 16th places are passable, I think the last place that will pass will be the 41st place where Alaverdyan is. I believe in that, because I look at no. 10 of our list and no. 10 of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) list, where Gagik Beglaryan is with his notorious reputation and we have got disabled Arman Musheghyan in the 10th place, a very dignified guy in a wheelchair, who will show the difference between the two parties by his presence on the list.”
Ms. Bakhshyan didn’t express any discontent in regard to Araks Poghosyan, although many people call her ‘orthodox.’ According to her comment, “Araks is one type, one figure, whose presence in the National Assembly will give us a new trait. When in 2007 I found out that I ոաս in the 4th place, Raffi matured us, we matured, now we go back and there are people in front of us that should also mature and we should increase in number.”
In response to our question whether she didn’t think that the Heritage Party would lose votes with the new list, since she, Armen Martirosyan, Styopa Safaryan and Larisa Alaverdyan are the image of the Heritage Party, Anahit Bakhshyan said, “If the voters want to see us in the parliament again, it means that they should multiply their effort, in order that not 6 of us, but 20 of us are there.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
