Sociologist: Raffi Hovannisian is a political poker player and his movement is a bluff, while Robert Kocharyan has always been a hawk with bright eyes

• Tuesday, March 12, 13:56

 Raffi Hovannisian is a political poker player and his movement is a bluff, said Aharon Adibekyan, Head of Sociometer Sociology Center, in a press conference, Tuesday.  He said that Hovannisian is a demagogue that speaks on behalf of the people and deceives the people.

"Hunger strikes have become a popular method to achieve political goals recently. However, this method does not work in Armenia so far. Consequently, Hovannisian has nothing to do but go on a suicide. And the best way to do that is to commit a self-immolation," the sociologist said.

To recall, Raffi Hovannisian, declared a hunger strike on March 10 for a period until April 9 , the day of the president's inauguration, as a strike against official result of the presidential election.  Adibekyan is sure that Hovannisian will not be able to prevent inauguration of Serzh Sargsyan, who won the election, because he is not the winner as he declares at rallies. Actually, the citizens supporting him are a political minority. 

"If they were a majority, as Raffi says, their number in the course of rallies in the Liberty Square would be much higher than 4,000-5,000," he said. The sociologist declared that the authorities and the election system are not bad, simply the people is not able to make serious steps.

He believes that the Armenian authorities are ideal and a merited politician occupies the post of the president, and the country is on the way of development and prosperity. As for the previous presidents, he said that all them were good presidents. The sociologist, who has recently become something like a lawyer and political expert for the authorities, outlined the second president Robert Kocharyan, calling him "a hawk with bright eyes."

Adibekyan even showed the archived results of the poll conducted at the request of IFES in 2002-2003 on the political situation and public sentiments in Armenia. In response to the journalists objecting against publication of the results of a 10-year-old poll, Adibekyan said that it is still relevant and "no matter that the number of public organizations and parties has grown," he said.