YEREVAN. – They are preparing Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party leader, former FM Raffi Hovannisian—who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote and who declared a hunger strike on March 10 at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square—for the next presidential election. Opposition People’s Party Chairman Tigran Karapetyan said this during a press conference on Monday, and added: “Either there is a revolution, or, not.”       

In his words, the authorities could also resolve, by way of Hovannisian, a matter that Heritage receives more votes than the Prosperous Armenia Party in the capital city Yerevan mayoral election, which is slated for May 5.    

“Had Raffi Hovannisian posed a threat to the President, they would have offered him [that is, Hovannisian] a position that he could not refuse. Raffi Hovannisian is a positive figure, but he is not alone; the West is behind him,” Karapetyan stated.   

As per the People’s Party leader, the situation cannot continue for this long and it will explode one day.

“Revolution is a cruel thing. It is also wrong that they are placing the bet on the village residents. They need to place [the bet] on Yerevan residents,” he noted.   

Tigran Karapetyan also maintained that a hunger strike is not an effective option, but he did not rule out that he could visit the Liberty Square again.