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Re: Elections in Armenia
RALLY IN THE REGIONS: HOVANNISIAN APPEALS TO PROVINCES TO "INAUGURATE A NEW ARMENIA"
VOTE 2013 | 03.04.13 | 14:48
Photolure
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
After 21 days of hunger strike as part of post-election standoff
following what he called a "fraudulent ballot", opposition leader
Raffi Hovannisian has resumed his trips to Armenia's provinces to
"recruit citizens for the April 9 inauguration of a new Armenia",
namely a rally scheduled for that day in Liberty Square.
During his rally last Friday, Hovannisian challenging the official
results of the presidential race, said that he was commencing the
second stage of his post-election regional visits and would make
trips to cities, towns and villages of Armenia till April 5 when
another rally in scheduled in Yerevan.
"By our regional visits we have entered a new stage of our struggle. I
have decided that it should be without hunger strikes, because we
are approaching April 9 for a new Armenia, and I repeat: whoever
goes against our national initiative, who does not meet the people
half-way and goes on with the inauguration on April 9, I believe he
would have to become the warrantor of his own self-isolation and the
final rebellion of the Armenian people, the Republic of Armenia. I do
not want that, I want it to be reconsidered and for him to address
people with a prudent response and a plan for national unity,"
Hovannisian told RFL/RE.
Heritage party vice-chairman Armen Martirosyan believes there is a
need for the trips to provinces prior to April 9, Sargsyan's official
inauguration day.
Hovannisian calls the second stage of his regional visits "national
enlistment campaign" to recruit citizens for the "inauguration of a
New Armenia", and has started his campaign from the southern gate -
Syunik province.
On Monday in Kapan, Goris, Sisian, Yeghegnadzor, and Ararat, the
Heritage leader called people to gather at Yerevan's Liberty Square
on April 9 for the "inauguration of a new Armenia".
In Artashat, where few people had rallied to meet him, he urged to
drop their fear, and turned to the police who were video-taping the
event: "What are you doing, guys? This is our land, also yours. I
am not begging you, but you have to think what orders you are
implementing. This is not the private garden of either Abrahamyan,
or Sargsyan, or Hovannisian."
With similar appeals he spoke on Tuesday in Yeghvard, Talin, Ujan,
Artik, Gyumri, Armavir, and Echmiadzin.
In the spiritual capital of Armenia Hovannisian cited the Catholicos
of All Armenians during the March 31 Easter liturgy at Mother See of
Holy Echmiadzin: "Let no one impose his private truth upon anyone or
upon the people".
"I am certain that he implied Serzh Sargsyan. The time has come for
our Church to function independent of the state, be with all of us
without exceptions, and never let the commandment of the Holy Bible
be abused," said Hovannisian.
In reference to Hovannisian's post-election trips to the provinces,
Manvel Sargsyan, heading the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies, told ArmeniaNow: "It's a new culture for us, and
we should not forget that by official data he score big in the cities,
towns and villages on the voting day, which makes his regional visits
a natural thing. Also, it is the first time that the population of
the provinces has proved to be so active not only during the voting,
but the post-election stand-off as well."
Expert in political sciences Gegham Nazaryan counters that Hovannisian
ended his hunger strike and left Liberty Square once he realized
Sargsyan was not going to give up his post, nor would he refrain from
the inauguration ceremony.
"From rally to rally people get more and more disappointed in Raffi
Hovannisian. If he continues like this, he will lose his ratings in
no time and will find himself in the same part of the political field
with losers who cannot change anything in the situation at hand,"
Nazaryan told A1+ oppositional online newspaper.
RALLY IN THE REGIONS: HOVANNISIAN APPEALS TO PROVINCES TO "INAUGURATE A NEW ARMENIA"
VOTE 2013 | 03.04.13 | 14:48
Photolure
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
After 21 days of hunger strike as part of post-election standoff
following what he called a "fraudulent ballot", opposition leader
Raffi Hovannisian has resumed his trips to Armenia's provinces to
"recruit citizens for the April 9 inauguration of a new Armenia",
namely a rally scheduled for that day in Liberty Square.
During his rally last Friday, Hovannisian challenging the official
results of the presidential race, said that he was commencing the
second stage of his post-election regional visits and would make
trips to cities, towns and villages of Armenia till April 5 when
another rally in scheduled in Yerevan.
"By our regional visits we have entered a new stage of our struggle. I
have decided that it should be without hunger strikes, because we
are approaching April 9 for a new Armenia, and I repeat: whoever
goes against our national initiative, who does not meet the people
half-way and goes on with the inauguration on April 9, I believe he
would have to become the warrantor of his own self-isolation and the
final rebellion of the Armenian people, the Republic of Armenia. I do
not want that, I want it to be reconsidered and for him to address
people with a prudent response and a plan for national unity,"
Hovannisian told RFL/RE.
Heritage party vice-chairman Armen Martirosyan believes there is a
need for the trips to provinces prior to April 9, Sargsyan's official
inauguration day.
Hovannisian calls the second stage of his regional visits "national
enlistment campaign" to recruit citizens for the "inauguration of a
New Armenia", and has started his campaign from the southern gate -
Syunik province.
On Monday in Kapan, Goris, Sisian, Yeghegnadzor, and Ararat, the
Heritage leader called people to gather at Yerevan's Liberty Square
on April 9 for the "inauguration of a new Armenia".
In Artashat, where few people had rallied to meet him, he urged to
drop their fear, and turned to the police who were video-taping the
event: "What are you doing, guys? This is our land, also yours. I
am not begging you, but you have to think what orders you are
implementing. This is not the private garden of either Abrahamyan,
or Sargsyan, or Hovannisian."
With similar appeals he spoke on Tuesday in Yeghvard, Talin, Ujan,
Artik, Gyumri, Armavir, and Echmiadzin.
In the spiritual capital of Armenia Hovannisian cited the Catholicos
of All Armenians during the March 31 Easter liturgy at Mother See of
Holy Echmiadzin: "Let no one impose his private truth upon anyone or
upon the people".
"I am certain that he implied Serzh Sargsyan. The time has come for
our Church to function independent of the state, be with all of us
without exceptions, and never let the commandment of the Holy Bible
be abused," said Hovannisian.
In reference to Hovannisian's post-election trips to the provinces,
Manvel Sargsyan, heading the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies, told ArmeniaNow: "It's a new culture for us, and
we should not forget that by official data he score big in the cities,
towns and villages on the voting day, which makes his regional visits
a natural thing. Also, it is the first time that the population of
the provinces has proved to be so active not only during the voting,
but the post-election stand-off as well."
Expert in political sciences Gegham Nazaryan counters that Hovannisian
ended his hunger strike and left Liberty Square once he realized
Sargsyan was not going to give up his post, nor would he refrain from
the inauguration ceremony.
"From rally to rally people get more and more disappointed in Raffi
Hovannisian. If he continues like this, he will lose his ratings in
no time and will find himself in the same part of the political field
with losers who cannot change anything in the situation at hand,"
Nazaryan told A1+ oppositional online newspaper.
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