YEREVAN. – Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian is not asking for the support by fellow opposition Free Democrats Party, for next year’s presidential elections, Hovannisian himself stated during a pres conference on Monday. 

“I wish all the best to the Free Democrats, especially to the new generation, which needs to find within the source of its misdeeds, guilt, and mistakes,” the Heritage leader said responding to a query as to whether or not he is not hurt by the fact that the Free Democrats’ agenda does not include supporting him in the elections.    

To note, the Free Democrats took part in the May 6 National Assembly (NA) elections together with Heritage, and with a single list. As a result, Free Democrats leader Khachatur Kokobelyan and party member Alexander Arzumanyan were elected into Parliament. But, sometime thereafter, a conflict arose between the two parties. In the outcome, MPs Kokobelyan and Arzumanyan announced that even though they will formally remain members of the NA Heritage Faction, they will function independently and not represent the faction’s position.          

To a reporter’s remark that he is in fourth place in line with the recent Gallup poll, Raffi Hovannisian said he does not trust those results. “It is a fragmentary and an ordered methodology. Even if it is not ordered, I consider it an initial call to arms, and I will answer that call to arms,” he noted.      

Photo by Sona Barseghyan