ARF Leader on Raffi’s Hunger Strike: All Avenues of Struggle Were Not Exhausted
By Weekly Staff // Posted on March 12, 2013 in News // 6 Comments // 
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YEREVAN (A.W.)—ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovanessian visited Raffi Hovannisian in Freedom Square to express solidarity with the opposition leader, two days after the latter started a hunger strike.
Vahan Hovanessian speaks to journalists on Freedom Square
Vahan Hovanessian had a brief conversation—not audible to journalists—with Hovannisian, telling journalists surrounding them, “I am not here to see you.”
But when asked what he thought about Hovannisian’s hunger strike, the ARF leader said, “That, I can tell you. I think this is taking it to an extreme. Everything aside, Mr. Hovannisian has earned a large number of votes. I don’t think all avenues of struggle were exhausted. This is my honest conviction.”
He added, “Of course, I am not here to give lessons or advice. I am here to express my solidarity. But I would have loved to express that solidarity in other arenas, and not here.”
Asked what else Hovannisian could have done, the ARF Bureau member said that his party has answered that question repeatedly.
The ARF argues that regime change can be accomplished gradually, starting with the Yerevan municipal elections in May. Negotiations between opposition parties to form an opposition front in recent days have not yet yielded concrete results.
On March 10, Raffi Hovannisian said during a rally that on April 9, Serge Sarkisian will be sworn in as president “over my dead body,” adding that he would start a hunger strike in Freedom Square.
“If on April 9, Sarkisian takes his fake oath on the Holy Bible, and if the Catholicos desecrates the Bible and blesses the candidate [Sarkisian] who mocks the people, then that will happen over my dead body,” he had said.
Raffi Hovannisian has since remained in Freedom Square. Several political leaders and thousands of supporters have visited the square to express solidarity with the “Barevolution” leader.
Strange bed fellows!!! One nationalistic and one supporter of the western interests!! I guess enemy of my enemy is my friend after all.
A good piece of advice. I hope Raffi will listen to it. An alliance of opposition forces is the only way out of the crisis.
Raffi, losing weight, and Oligarchy fat big belly, MPs, gaining weight.
Regime change is an ugly and dangerous slogan, the precursor and the legacy of fates fallen to iraq, lybia serbia, it heralds bloodshed and accomplishes the sale of a nation to alien bondage. raffi is equivocal in his pursuit of vanity,senseless ambition and fallacious boasting . Sargisian will be sworn as our presiden and Raffi will not die. Raffi is more useful to Armenian political life alive than dead. He is too good to die of hunger because he lost an election. He should carry on his political struggle and wait for the next election. Dying a miserable dead on a hunger strike it is not the dead of heroes. A heroe continues with his struggle till his last ounce of energy. A heroe does not capitulate with a hunger strike .People will have sympathy for raffi because he is a good nationalist, but sympathies will not hand in an electoral crown because he decides to fast himself to death.
Do you guys work right from the Baghramyan 26, or have a separate propaganda unit elsewhere ? Read a book or two on democracy and quit that job. There is no honor in what you are up to.
Arshag who does not know that //////Question is>/
Will some come FWD.like I wrote elsewhere on another thread here ARF set one foot at the thresholda week or so ago,with one of its leaders shwoing up next to Raff and made short discourse.But since then no news forthcoming…
Another one PAP *prosperous party….they are busy planning for the Municipality elections…
others who could have done also are retreating sort of .he is left alone..
And I think that was one reason he got disillusioned….and
resorted to the hunger strike.This he had tried couple yrs ago..with no avail.
So really someone should render him a hand.A very nice man and well educated but alas….the environment…is not for such people…
let me see…I did suggest that his father dear Prof. Richard G.Hovanissian might wish to come *and if possible with some dignitary from CA and ….
stand for him
But then even then the powers to be have already all TOGETHER DECIDED not to accept him…
Furthermore, one cannot accomplish much all by himself…
likesomeone else here wrote he should have struck up some sort of partnership….whatever.
I still think, there may be some who from two main arteries of the Diaspora , may at the Eleventh hourts stand up for him.
Armenia ,alas is fast becoming a state that is like I wrote a candidate to become a sattelite of other*s..
Am not young ,otherwise I’d go to L.A. or Paris and try to get help for him