YEREVAN. – If the Armenian body politic thinks that opposition Heritage Party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian—who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote—is an angel or a hero, we will lose everything that the people want to achieve. Armenia’s first Human Rights Defender, “Against Legal Arbitrariness” Foundation Executive Director, and public activist Larisa Alaverdyan stated this during a press conference on Friday.

“It is solely through the guidance by the civil society, clear-headed intellectuals, [and] knowledgeable media that we can have the results we want to have, or [at least] a part of these results. Only in this case, we can pave the way for a civilized country,” Alaverdyan said.  

In her words, Armenia’s civil society is developing right before our eyes.

“The country is ours today, too. You do not reject a bad father, or a mother. Instead, you try to do something.” Larisa Alaverdyan argued.