Raffi Hovannisian’s Press Conference – `Let no foreign power presume
it has a right to give us lessons about democracy’
13:19, March 1, 2013
Minutes ago, Raffi Hovannisian concluded a press conference in Freedom
Square. He is now headed to Mysanikyan Square to pay his respects to
those who died during the civil unrest of March 1, 2008.
Hovannisian again declared that no foreign power should presume the
right to teach the Armenian people lessons in democracy and to tell
Armenians who their freely elected president is.
Hovannisian said it was his constitutional right to reject the
official presidential election results and that he would use all
constitutional and legal means to return the government to the people.
Hovannisian labelled the popular movement in support of his efforts as
a pan-national struggle for justice and freedom.
He reiterated his belief that the people of Armenia seeking a
fundamental change in the country’s government and public institutions
should not expect overnight solutions, since the problems facing
Armenia are system-wide.
He confessed that the Heritage Party and civic election observers
could have been better organized to register election fraud and
violations, especially in rural communities.
Nevertheless, he said there was irrefutable proof of widespread
election fraud and cited how soldiers were conveyed to polling
stations in order to vote for Serzh Sargsyan.
He did not rule out the possibility that the Heritage Party would
field a candidate in the upcoming Yerevan mayoral election, citing
local elections as part and parcel of his campaign to return
government to the people in every town and village in Armenia.
He warned the ruling regime to stop spreading rumors that due to the
unresolved political situation, security up and down Armenia’s borders
is suffering.
Hovannisian warned that it was unacceptable and dangerous for the
regime to use the pretext of national security in order to drive a
wedge in the movement for political rights and social freedom now
unfolding in Armenia.
He concluded by urging all Armenians to join with him tomorrow at
Freedom Square where a number of organizational and agenda issues
would be jointly discussed.