Epress.am News from Armenia
Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian, nominated as a candidate in the parliamentary elections in the no. 7 constituency along with Armenian National Congress (HAK) candidate Nikol Pashinyan and oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan, at a press conference in Yerevan today said he didn’t know that there was another opposition candidate registered in the same electoral district. He is urging the parties to begin negotiations and decide which of the two opposition candidates will remain in the district.
“If anyone has any doubts, let me say that my directive comes from my faith, my love. Please don’t enervate, don’t divide the people’s opposition forces. I didn’t know yesterday that there would be another opposition candidate. The Heritage Party waited till the last day to find out in which electoral district there remained the absent of an alternative. I thought, Malatya, where fatalism is greatest — I’ll be that opposition alternative,” he said.
The Heritage Party leader said that it’s possible that after speaking with HAK, he might withdraw his candidacy.
Hovannisian said he hopes that last year’s incident doesn’t repeat this year, referring to the time he was on a hunger strike in Liberty Square, which while he was on the hunger strike, “the strength of the opposition public’s power was lessened by other opposition forces.”
Hovannisian considers a continuation of his hunger strike the Heritage Party’s list of candidates contesting a parliamentary seat this year on the party-list basis, which a represents a test for the party.
“The Heritage Party’s proportional list was compiled after unprecedented travail. Basically, an alternative has been created for forming a new Armenia, with the priority of the rights of Armenian citizens and the total protection of sovereignty. No one should consider the list by its top 10, but by its entirety,” he said, adding that they expect a 25% presence in parliament.