According to the artist, the bridges between the people and Serzh Sargsyan have been burnt for a long time. www.aravot.am asked the beloved artist, songwriter and singer Ruben Hakhverdyan what he thought of the 2013 presidential election. We also noted that people at yesterday’s rally of Raffi Hovhannisyan had danced to the song “The Wind of Mountains.” He said that he hadn’t participated in the rally, because he had a concert in Lachin, along with a few songwriters and singers. “The people there are in such a bad condition, but I certainly called and have information, I know that Raffi won objectively. I am close to our environmentalists; they were holding a separate demonstration, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate in their demonstration either. I imagine what condition Serzh Sargsyan is in. Why, he knows that he hasn’t won; how will he preside over this country, so to say, after that?” In response to our question whether he thought that all the bridges between Serzh Sargsyan and the people were burnt, Ruben Hakhverdyan said: “Why, they have been burnt for a long time already; how long can one bear this clownishness? I understand that one half says the Russians are behind him, the others say something else. Well, shouldn’t our people have their say? We are an independent country, aren’t we?” Did he follow the election campaigns of the candidates; is he aware of their programs? The artist said that he hadn’t, and he hadn’t gone to vote either. “In my opinion, Raffi is not a plaster saint, but the man was elected objectively. By the way, I have always said in interviews: ‘Anyone, but Serzh Sargsyan,’ because that vicious circle and corruption are directly connected with Serzh Sargsyan. How can he struggle against himself?” As for selling votes for 5000 drams, our interlocutor thinks: “It is a sign of ignorance and backwardness; those people are so disappointed that they think Serzh Sargsyan will win this way or another, but who said that, huh…? It was proved that it is not so; I was proud of those people at last, because they didn’t behave like serfs. The residents of Gyumri proved that this town exists, and Gyumri is basically the capital, and Yerevan proved this time that Yerevan is also a city, after all; Raffi won in Yerevan too.”
Gohar HAKOBYAN
