YEREVAN. – Armenia’s 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—is continuing his hunger strike at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square (PHOTOS).

On Sunday evening, four people joined Hovannisian’s hunger strike and 25 others commenced a sit-in.  

Commenting on his four supporters’ decision to join his hunger strike, Hovannisian told Armenian News-NEWS.am, on Monday morning, that they should not have resorted to such measure and that he will urge them to stop their hunger strike. 

Hovannisian’s respective request was adhered to by three of the people on hunger strike, whereas the fourth, civic activist Bayandur Poghosyan, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that he does not plan on quitting his hunger strike because he does not wish to clap Hovannisian’s self-sacrifice from the sidelines.  

The former presidential candidate told news reporters that this hunger strike of his differs from his previous one, since his earlier hunger strike was against a political party state, whereas this one is against a general fear in Armenia.    

To note, Raffi Hovannisian declared a hunger strike on Sunday at Liberty Square. “As long as Mr. Sargsyan has not stepped down, I will stay at Liberty Square and will not eat food,” he noted. 

The next rally of Hovannisian’s supporters will be held on March 15 at 5pm.

“On that day we will discuss the future courses of action, the Constitutional Court’s ruling [on whether or not the presidential should be declared null and void], and together we will start the matter of [taking] actions, [making] decisions, and consolidate the triumph,” Raffi Hovannisian had said.   

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am