Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian—who was 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 ended a 21-day hunger strike at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square on March 31—on Thursday visited Lori Region and met with the locals.

During his assembly with the Vanadzor city residents, Hovannisian said that on April 9—that is, the day when President Sargsyan is scheduled to formally swear in for a second term in office, and also when Hovannisian likewise plans to swear in, at Liberty Square, as Armenia’s new president—everyone must swear in for a free and independent Armenia, and that the Armenian diaspora, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia should be as one.   

Addressing President Sargsyan, he specifically noted:

“Being [the son] of Azat [which means “free,” in Armenian], having this patronymic, you should own and very well know the meaning of these words.” 

Hovannisian also walked through the streets of Vanadzor and greeted the residents. He entered the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) party Vanadzor headquarters, and National Assembly ANC Faction leader Levon Zurabyan was there at the time. They talked and asked each other how they were. 

Next, Raffi Hovannisian entered the Vanadzor headquarters of the opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, and subsequently continued his walk through Vanadzor streets.