Former Presidential Candidate Still Hopes to Come to Power Through Democratic Means

Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian began his meeting with the public in Ani Plaza Hotel today with the remarks "I will no longer permit us to miss each other so much," summing up, in his words, the year of the rigged 2013 presidential elections.

Recall, according to the official election results, the incumbent, Serzh Sargsyan secured 58% of the vote, while Hovannisian secured 37% of the vote, coming in second place. Leading up to April 9, 2013, the day of the presidential inauguration, Hovannisian disputed the results, organizing rallies in central Yerevan.

Present at the meeting in Ani Hotel today were about 100 people, the majority of whom were elderly. There were also a great number of Karabakh War veterans.

In his speech, titled "national annual message," the opposition party leader said a common, unified platform should be established as soon as possible, through which "last year's unfinished business" will be completed by April 9. 

"This is not the task of one person, but the nation's task," he said, adding that the goal of his struggle is to come to power through democratic means. 

At the start of his speech, Hovannisian quoted Serzh Sargsyan's remarks that Armenians can be saved only through the use of arms. According to the Heritage Party leader, the majority of society agrees with this view, so in order to prevent civil war, political parties must find a comprehensive solution and break the vicious cycle. And that vicious cycle, in Hovannisian's words, is the consequence and result of fraudulent elections.

Speaking about "the year of illegal ruling authorities," Hovannisian said the ruling authorities handed the country over for rent; a vassal logic dominates foreign policy; negotiations with the EU were thrown out the window in a single night; and adopted were laws that are nothing other than state racketeering. 

"Glory to the soldiers who died for the homeland, but a thousand shame to those miserly people who use their deaths to maintain their power. Electoral fraud has no statute of limitations, no amnesty," he said.

The Heritage Party leader stressed the importance of creating a unified opposition. According to him, time has shown that neither Heritage Party nor other "fighters" have left the battlefield. In this context, he welcomed the united struggle of the four non-ruling parties against the new mandatory pension system.