RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN’S DEEDS – INEXPLICABLE
S. Haroutyunyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily News, Armenia
Aug 30 2007

The mosaic of the native pro-Opposition activists has always aroused
some pleasant surprise in terms of the abundance of its contradictory
figures. But the most contradictory and the least understood among
them is the virtuous image of Raffi Hovhannisyan, the leader of
"Heritage" party.

Let’s not go too far. Despite his MP’s mandate, R. Hovhannisyan
decided to concentrate his and his party’s "whole potential" on being
"re-elected" as a Deputy from constituency No. 15, Talin. Alas, he
was by and large defeated; the voter of Talin did not believe in the
patriotic speeches and the demonstrative manifestations of ordinary
populism by which the leader of "Heritage" made the impression of
a genius periodically before the elections and continuously during
the campaign.

Then R. Hovhannisyan rose against the elections which were "essentially
non-free and unfair" and, at the same time, immediately congratulated
the candidate "recognized as a winner". And, as should have been
expected, he found himself in the trap of the contradictory character
of his own image, i.e. under the attack of the pro-Government and
pro-Opposition fronts.

And then, without slackening his paces, the party leader appeared
with the successive unique initiative: he submitted the Draft Law on
Recognizing the NKR Independence to the National Assembly. Apart from
Stepan Safaryan, who disseminates political tracts on "fearing" the
hazards of the geopolitical damages resulting from the authorities’
unyielding attitudes, the other MPs belonging to "Heritage" turned
out to be totally unaware of bill whose author was R. Hovhannisyan.

Perhaps, in this way Raffi Hovhannisyan hoped on the one hand to
compensate the moral damage suffered in constituency No. 15 and recover
the good reputation of the greatest patriot and on the other hand –
bring RPA and ARFD face-to-face with a fact, as these parties still
have all the opportunities to recognize the NKR independence but
haven’t done so with diplomatic considerations and tactical motives,.

Formerly the country’s Foreign Minister who acted from the positions
of settling the problem by ‘mutual concessions’, R. Hovhannisyan
is well-aware that to recognize Karabakh’s independence officially
would mean to throw a gauntlet to the international community, deny
the Minsk Group format thus playing into the hands of Azerbaijan
and make an abrupt transition from the peaceful negotiation process
towards the solution of the problem by the use of force.

Alas, the things developed as usual in this case too. The leader
of "Heritage" immediately found himself between the devil and the
deep sea. The media belonging to the Armenian pan-National Movement
were extremely indignant, and they rebuked their former favorite
for assuming an improper "triumphant" posture with regard to the NKR
issue. And the representatives of the Parliamentary majority hurried to
state that the legislative initiative proposed by R. Hovhannisyan is,
mildly speaking, outdated. Moreover, it contradicts not only the image
of a balanced activist favoring "compromise", but also the interests
of Karabakh and Armenia.

The contradictory phenomenon of R. Hovhannisyan’s image does not
exhaust itself by this. We all remember the universal hue-and-cry the
leader of "Heritage" raised in 2001 when the criminal administration,
in the person of Robert Kocharyan, failed to satisfy his ambitions
and did not grant him 10 years’ citizenship backdate, going against
the native Constitution and laws. How drastically was the whole staff
immediately written, arguing the President’s decision passionately
and for a long time, a decision that produced an incorrigible impact
on Mr. Hovhannisyan’s pretensions and delayed the realization of his
great dream of becoming the RA President!

Anyway, we still have to discuss the most striking issue. The
outstanding figure, who has spent many sleepless nights for being
denied citizenship backdate, a man who, according to his statements,
has linked his future exclusively with Armenia and is ready to serve
his own people and country in the status of an ordinary citizen till
the end of time, makes no haste in dissolving the "insoluble entangled
strip" of granting his family members Armenian citizenship.

The wife and the 5 children of R. Hovhannisyan are still citizens
of the United States and live in their homeland in the status of
"tourists"; all they have is a permanent residence status.

Mrs. Armenuhi Gaspar Khachikyan-Hovhannisyan (American passport
No.Z8025010) received a special residence status for the term of 10
years, i.e. till 2009 (document series and No. AE 0466060). Perhaps,
in this way it is easier to extort grants from the transoceanic donors
and engage oneself in charity at the expense of other people’s money,
i.e. to hold a PR campaign through "Youth Achievements" and "Orran"
organizations and win extra credits for Mr. Hovhannisyan.

As to the sons of the leader of "Heritage", Karin (American passport
No.039309555), Taron (American passport No. 039317317), Van (American
passport No.Z8277222), Armen (American passport No.

710996318) and his daughter Shushi (American passport No.710484010),
they live in Armenia by the ordinary residence status. In the meantime,
the validity of the documents expired on August 24; therefore, to
extend the pleasure of living in their homeland, they have to prolong
the validity date of their "Armenian" passports.

In this situation it is difficult to say where the heart of the matter
is hidden: whether it is the contradictory character of his enigmatic
image or the pragmatic calculation that prevents R. Hovhannisyan from
"granting" his family members RA citizenship.