“I should apologize and interpret similar figures as I assess my words higher” – so responded Hovhannes Sahakyan, to the question of Aravot.am of how he assesses the “Heritage” Party leader Raffi Hovannisian’s call to create a united opposition front. Recall that Raffi Hovannisian noted in his annual national report voiced on February 18, “Do you remember, we called everybody to lower the party flags and create a universal civil front with one common objective: make party leadership to quit paralyzing free elections. We once again reaffirm that it is the only effective way to fight. I am sure that very soon the real political forces will come to this opinion.” Mr. Sahakyan noted that “we do not feel the lack of Raffi Hovannisian and similar figures, and their assessment has been given or is given by people and the community.” To our observation that people have given their assessment; at the presidential elections held on February 18, 38 percent of electorates trusted their vote to Raffi Hovannisian, Hovhannes Sahakyan responded, “Perhaps, my words were not well accepted, I will explain. Saying about people, I mean the power receiving 38 percent of the vote of confidence did not possess this resource for not more than two months, then he appeared in internal party scandals and fuzzes, and completely disappeared from the political arena without any reasons. And then to come back and say something, a thousand apologies, I do not like to comment it. Raffi Hovannisian’s behavior remind of cyclic power cutoffs in 1990s. Interpreting his words already becomes not serious. It is not like the spring came and we started to work.” ANC member, Vahagn Khachatryan, told us the following with regard to this issue that “we are doing it, political parties in NA have united, we are trying to do the same thing with the forces outside the NA.” Then, Mr. Khachatryan noted that he has no idea what Raffi Hovannisian meant by saying ‘with united front’. ANC member summed up, “We have our agenda and objectives, which are formulated. The more forces join it, the better, fast, painless and easy these issues will be solved. We have also said it last year. Raffi Hovannisian should clearly formulate the task, so that we can understand what his path is.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
