He assures that if he is put under pressure, he will leave this country
“I am a member of the ANC, but I will cast my vote for Raffi Hovhannisyan, in order that the current government is not reproduced,” Artur Nikoghosyan, a resident of Surenavan, a freedom fighter and a member of the ANC, stated during a conversation with www.aravot.am today.
In his words, “We haven’t seen and don’t expect anything good from this government. I for one have no expectations. Freedom fighters are absolutely disregarded. The people long for the candidate who doesn’t cooperate with the ruling pyramid. The people are in disarray; they want to understand which of the candidates doesn’t cooperate to follow him, in order that the government is not reproduced. I expect only one thing from Raffi Hovhannisyan. He is Monte Melkonyan’s friend.”
In response to our question why he didn’t support Hrant Bagratyan, being a member of the ANC, the freedom fighter said: “I don’t have anything negative to say about Hrant. He is a very good economist; I know him personally. Let me say why Raffi Hovhannisyan. I don’t want to separate from my people today. The people rally to Hovhannisyan; I have always been among the people, with the people. Only because of that. If the current government is not reproduced, I have expectations from all the remaining candidates, starting from Hayrikyan, except for the ruling pyramid. Raffi Hovhannisyan was Monte Melkonyan’s college friend and a patriot. Raffi Hovhannisyan was the first person to utter the word genocide in Turkey in 1991.”
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As for why a Congress member didn’t support Hrant Bagratyan who had been one of the founders of the Congress after all, the freedom fighter urged not to exploit it. “Today my people rally to Hovhannisyan; I cannot separate from my people.”
Congress members, Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, in particular, accuse Raffi Hovhannisyan of cooperating with the government. In response to our question whether he shared that opinion, he said: “I don’t; I don’t want to oppose anyone. I know just one thing; the people don’t make mistakes. My people follow Raffi.” He assured that Raffi Hovhannisyan’s electorate in Surenavan was large, and in case of a fair election, he would surely win. “One just should retain the votes everywhere. It will be the ultimate goal of Hovhannisyan’s headquarters. Raffi Hovhannisyan will now have a task of retaining votes in the same way as Vazgen Manukyan had it in 1996. They have been adapting the people to this type of elections for 18-20 years.” Taking into account the fact that the incumbent president’s slogan is “Secure Armenia,” we cleared up how secure their village was these days, from whom or from what it was secure. The freedom fighter replied: “Let me say that by voting for Serzh Sargsyan, we will vote for tax terror. By voting for Serzh Sargsyan, we will vote for emigration, permissiveness; everything will be uncontrolled, ungoverned. In a nutshell, I personally, as an Armenian, have never voted for the government. I say give us a piece of land so that we can have our feet on the ground we have defended with our blood.”
In response to our question whether one could put him under pressure, since he had criticized Serzh Sargsyan’s government today, he said: “You know what, let them do whatever they like. I have nothing, but my children. If they put me under pressure, I will leave this country. I am ready to leave as it is. I will leave after the election. If Raffi Hovhannisyan or any oppositionist, even Paruyr Hayrikyan, isn’t elected, I am surely leaving. I provide for 8 people, four of which are minors. I am unemployed; I don’t get either a pension or a benefit. Nothing, doom in front, a bullet behind, the fields are like hell, the friend is an enemy. How can one live like this?”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
