YEREVAN. – During Saturday’s founding convention of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) party, Armenia’s First President, leader of the ANC bloc, Levon Ter-Petrosyan reflected on the movement led by 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 on the accusations made against them for not joining this movement.     

First, Ter-Petrosyan noted that he does not wish to make any negative or sarcastic comments on Hovannisian. 

“When someone is on the barricades, you cannot make such remarks,” he said.

The ANC bloc leader noted that when they are asked why they do not join the aforesaid movement, he recalls that the ANC was the sole political force which announced that Hovannisian, and not Sargsyan, had won the presidential election.

“This is the biggest support which an opposition party can say to another party,” he added.

Second, Armenia’s First President recalled that most of their activists were at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square during Hovannisian’s rallies. 

To the query as to why the ANC leadership did not join Hovannisian’s struggle, Ter-Petrosyan responded as follows:

“I should have joined to do what? Should I have joined so I could pray with [Police Chief] Vova [that is, Vladimir] Gasparyan [at the Armenian Genocide Memorial]? Lighting candles with Vova Gasparyan was not my childhood dream.

“We are a political party, and we join, assist and support political processes only. In the post-election events we saw everything but political processes. We stand ready to collaborate with Heritage. The [forthcoming Yerevan Council] elections are a political process. So, come, [and] let’s unite!”

Levon Ter-Petrosyan also stressed that if the current authorities suffer a painful defeat in the Yerevan elections which are slated for May 5, this would be their destruction.   

 

“The road to becoming President [of Armenia] is to win in the Yerevan Council [election],” Armenia’s First President said, and stressed that their fight is against the system, and not the individuals.