During Raffi Hovhannisyan’s rally yesterday, Aram Sargsyan, Ararat Zurabyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Karapet Rubinyan, representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the People’s Party of Armenia, as well as other representatives of the opposition camp, were in Freedom Square. www.aravot.am inquired during a conversation with political scientists whether one could express an opinion based on this fact that the opposition camp rallies to Raffi Hovhannisyan. Ruben Mehrabyan, an expert of the Center for Political and International Studies, doesn’t think so and goes into detail: “I think that this is more like these persons’ solidarity with the people. The people that, basically voting not for the government, think that their votes have been stolen. Those figures sympathize with those people. Their presence in Freedom Square can be considered something more only when Raffi Hovhannisyan’s political agenda and demands become more logic and purposeful. And unless it is there, one cannot speak of more than the mentioned.” We inquired what purposefulness and clarity he meant, since R. Hovhannisyan said that he was ready to risk his own life to defend the people’s votes. R. Mehrabyan responded: “There is no need for risking one’s life; he should reach all that, taking logical actions. Since we talk about those things, I can say that God doesn’t require sacrifice, but rather mercifulness. This situation requires concrete steps. If he demands that Serzh Sargsyan come and hand over power in the square, based on what document should he do that? This is not a game, after all. In the end, Raffi is the leader of a party that had 5 percent one month ago and has 37 percent today. In the end, it requires almost seven times as much responsibility, but not things like this. All this should not go beyond rational politics; otherwise, we will just have
frustration of thousands of citizens again. And I don’t envy the man who will be blamed for that.” Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan didn’t rule out that the above-mentioned persons would rally to R. Hovhannisyan and stated: “The people who were in Freedom Square yesterday have one task; to use probable shocks and social tension to start a new social movement. I am more than convinced that Raffi Hovhannisyan cannot cooperate with these people for a long time, given the difference of their ideologies and approaches. I also know that there are serious complaints and concerns in the Heritage Party ranks that they see a threat in these people’s coming to Freedom Square. Raffi won that 37 percent under the conditions when the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and the Armenian National Congress (ANC) didn’t participate. A few months ago when there was that rivalry, the Heritage Party managed to win only 5 percent. People who voted for Raffi cast votes for an anti-government candidate. If figures who use more abrupt, more extreme methods appear at this moment, it is probable that this 37 percent of the electorate will orient to them. This is a serious achievement and victory for the Heritage Party, and it will be unacceptable to lose those voters for a few days of adventurism. The Heritage Party realizes that next time it may not come around after such a blow.” H. Melik-Shahnazaryan thinks that in order to avoid all this, R. Hovhannisyan should continue his campaign strategy, personally control the votes cast for him and try to use them to play a more serious role on the political stage. The political scientist thinks that his demands to the government are not grounded and advises him not to forget that the majority of society voted for S. Sargsyan.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
