Raffi Hovannisian demands education minister's resignation

• Friday, January 25, 16:50

 At today's press-conference, a candidate for president of Armenia, the leader of the Heritage party, Raffi Hovannisian, demanded Education Minister, Armen Ashotyan's resignation. At his Facebook page the latter blamed Hovannisian for illegal campaigning among students.

He thinks there is nothing illegal in his actions and the ruling RPA and its representative, the education minister, should first of all draw attention at their own shortcomings. Hovannisian blamed the RPA representatives for the mass campaigning  among teachers, school principals and students in favor of the incumbent president. They are directly instructed to vote for Serzh Sargsyan, he said and added that the scarfs with the incumbent president's slogan are delivered to students in the universities. Hovannisian thinks that such actions damage Serzh Sargsyan's image which promised many time to hold the most fair and transparent presidential election. "I don't think that Serzh Sargsyan is not aware of such activity of his dependents. And if
he does not disprove, nobody will have a basis to trust in his promises. If Sargsyan ignores all these violations, this will mean that the authorities have exhausted their trust resource", - Raffi Hovannisian said.

He also added that although minister Ashotyan did not agree to Hovannisian's request to hold a meeting with students and teachers, nevertheless, Hovannisian is going to apply with a similar request to rectors of universities.  Hovannisian thinks that like a candidate for president he has a full right to turn students to his electoral programme, as students are fully-fledged citizens of Armenia and have a right to vote. "If Serzh Sargsyan like a candidate for president and the head of the Board of Trustees of Yerevan State University, has a right to meet students and teachers, in that case, as a
candidate for president I also demand to give me a similar right", - the leader of the Heritage party said.