YEREVAN. – “I respect my temporary opponents [opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman and presidential candidate] Paruyr Hayrikyan, [opposition Freedom Party Chairman, former PM, and presidential candidate] Hrant Bagratyan, [Nagorno-Karabakh Republic former FM and presidential candidate] Arman Melikyan, and all those that can improve Armenia and become allies in the future.” Opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM, and presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian stated this, during an online press conference on Tuesday, reiterating that his main opponent in Armenia’s forthcoming elections is incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.        

Also, Hovannisian gave a negative assessment to Sargsyan’s past five years in office, and noted that if the serving president is reelected for a second term, he will not congratulate him.

“It would have been more important for me to be congratulated by Sargsyan and by my fellow countrymen. If we conduct free and fair elections for the first time, we finally will have a legitimate president, and he, being elected by the people, will earn congratulations from everyone,” Raffi Hovannisian noted.    

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am