YEREVAN. – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and opposition Heritage Party Chairman, 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—have to sit down at the negotiating table. 168 Zham daily Editor-in-Chief Satik Seyranyan and Aravot daily Editor-in-Chief Aram Abrahamyan stated this during a press conference on Thursday.     

Abrahamyan noted that the March 1, 2008 tragedy in Yerevan will not repeat this time because neither Hovannisian nor Sargsyan want a clash. In her turn, Seyranyan said a discourse is indispensable.  

Both chief editors have the impression that the actions by Heritage’s leader are unorganized and rudimentary. And as for which side’s arguments are credible with respect to the Sargsyan-Hovannisian meeting that was held at the Presidential Residence, Seyranyan said this knot can be untied if the respective video recording is publicized.         

In her words, the details that Sargsyan presented regarding this talk are more pragmatic, whereas Hovannisian’s refutations are not substantiated because we do not know what they actually spoke about. In his turn, Abrahamyan suggested to believe in solely half of what they said.     

Speaking about April 9, Abrahamyan said on that day Serzh Sargsyan will swear in on Armenia’s Constitution and the Bible while at the Liberty Square, Raffi Hovannisian will swear in on another copy of the Constitution and the Bible. 

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am