“The ruling party forced me to resign the office of MP using the muscles of the ‘constructive alternative,’ about which I am personally not sorry, since I am not compelled to participate in the meetings of nicknamed people,” Hmayak Hovhannisyan, the president of the Union of Political Scientists, explained his resigning the office of MP in this manner during a conversation with www.1in.am.
Today www.aravot.am inquired of him what he meant by “using muscles,” whether he had been beaten, how they had used muscles, whether they had shown a lion’s picture to him, what they had done. He replied, “We have been living in bandits’ country, have I said anything new? No one has the right to think in this country. Why was I announced as a candidate – to withdraw my candidacy? They made me.”
In response to a question what means they had used, whether they had used beating, he said, “Means characteristic of Armenia. You understand quite well what I mean by that phrase. It is clear as day. If one’s car is robbed, an investigation is launched, if one is assaulted, they make the victim appear as offender, in that situation, will one resign the office of his own free will? Who said that they had beaten me up, no, they hadn’t beaten me up. If there are three lawsuits against a person, is that person a madman to resign the office and to allow police to get hold of him, as it has happened to me? In the end, there is a presumption of rationality. 3 cases were launched against me as a candidate for MP, an organizer of the joint staff during the election campaign – I was under relentless pressure, persecution. Certainly, I assumed that I would be protected by the commission, which the people would give to me, but when afterwards I suddenly resign the office, do you think I do that to be summoned to prosecutors’ and police officers’ offices, as it is the case now? I am released on my own recognizance, my freedom is restricted right now. If Oskanian had resigned the office, he would have been deprived of immunity and would have been subpoenaed and summoned to the prosecutor’s office.”
In response to our observation that Tigran Urikhanyan, the press secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), had threatened to tell how he had begged not to be deprived of the office, to be given an office, Hmayak Hovhannisyan went ballistic, “Don’t mention that disgusting person’s name. He shot a human rights advocate; I don’t want to hear his name. I compared him with Nairi Hunanyan, he is a criminal.”
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We inquired whether he denied that he had begged for an office, he responded, “And do you deny that Tigran Urikhanyan shot a human rights advocate and wasn’t punished for that.”
In response to our observation that it had been revealed that the gun had not been loaded, Hmayak Hovhannisyan said, “What does it mean there was no bullet? They shot a man. The man could have had a heart attack, could have developed diabetes. He didn’t know that it was a gas pistol, did he? I don’t want to hear the names of that kind of people. As for begging, it is a lie. It is an absolute lie. OK, let me tell you the truth – Tsarukyan has asked and begged me for 5 years to be in the 5th place on his list; that is the truth. 5 years. He has always said that the fifth place is booked for me, OK? He said that he gave me the 5th place on his list whether I would take it or not. He has repeated it for 5 years, during all our meetings. This is the truth.”
In response to our question why he had flexed his muscles, if he had begged before that, he said, “I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about that issue, Urikhanyan must talk, because he has gotten an office, I haven’t.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
