“A clergyman, a preacher could have done so, but not a politician. This is everything, but politics; it lacks political content,” Ruben Mehrabyan, an expert of the Center for Political and International Studies, said during a conversation with www.aravot.am, analyzing the steps of Raffi Hovhannisyan, the Heritage Party leader. Let us remind that Raffi Hovhannisyan, the Heritage Party leader, is on a hunger strike in Freedom Square. Mr. Hovhannisyan also informed that they would form their own Cabinet of national accord. Mr. Mehrabyan thinks that R. Hovhannisyan’s movement doesn’t pursue any political goals, but slogans, and those tend not to be realized. As for what situation the steps that are taken can lead to, it was hard for R. Mehrabyan to predict, and he stated: “The government hasn’t taken an adequate attitude toward all this either. It is a fact that there is social protest, and one should do something about that. As for the opposition’s hunger strikes etc., I can say that we are dealing with inadequacy from both sides, and this is dangerous insofar as it clears the way for nonpolitical, apolitical forces to try to fish in these troubled waters. Those are forces that don’t conceal that they agree with Putin’s idea. And it is enslavement of the Republic of Armenia. That fifth column is offered a great opportunity to take matters into its own hands, while the inadequacy of the government and the opposition persists. Therefore, it is time to come to one’s senses.” Tatul Hakobyan, a journalist and an expert, on the other hand, thinks that R. Hovhannisyan takes steps appropriate for a politician and in accordance with the Constitution and legislation of the Republic of Armenia. Then he adds: “Raffi Hovhannisyan, as well as a large part of citizens of the Republic of Armenia, are convinced that elections
have been rigged in Armenia once again, as it happened in 1996, 2003, and 2008. And he wants to say probably for the first time, not using force, going on a hunger strike, which is the most radical way of struggle, that it is time for the Republic of Armenia to have not a de facto, but a de jure president. He says that the President of the Republic of Armenia should not take a false oath on the Constitution and the Bible. R. Hovhannisyan’s steps are adequate to the current situation; moreover, I think that what he does, regardless of what mockery, ridicule, what response it gets, he takes steps appropriate for a politician and in accordance with the Constitution and the law.” In response to a question whether R. Hovhannisyan’s steps were convincing, T. Hakobyan said: “I have wandered around with R. Hovhannisyan in the past ten days as a journalist. During those meetings, I noticed what popularity he enjoyed. As opposed to Levon Ter-Petrossian whom roughly 50 percent of the public loves, the other 50 percent hates, there is an absolutely positive attitude toward R. Hovhannisyan. He thinks that citizens of the Republic of Armenia voted for him and says that he is ready to fight to the finish. This peaceful fight is not Raffi’s fight, it is a fight of Armenian voters against the government and the incumbent president, and they say that it is enough, they don’t want to have another rigged election. R. Hovhannisyan’s steps are honest, understandable, justified, and exactly political steps.” T. Hakobyan also noted: “Two poles of government can be noticed in the Republic of Armenia these days; one is 26 Baghramyan St., and the other is Freedom Square. If the other political forces – the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), the Rule of Law Party (RLP), the Armenian National Congress (ANC), and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) – state that they stand by the people, one should note that standing by the people is an unclear formulation. Those parties should clearly state whether they acknowledge the results of the February 18 election and whom they are standing by. Many things will be decided in Freedom Square; the more people there are, the stronger R. Hovhannsyan’s position in the struggle with the government will be.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
