Did Raffi Hovannisian 'surrender' Freedom Square?
Why did opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian end his hunger-strike before the inauguration of Serzh Sargsyan [slated for April 9? Did he eventually ‘hand over' Freedom Square to the authorities?
"Hovannisian took a right decision. If the tactical tricks are clear and you know the scenario plotted by your challenger, you choose the policy of maneuvering," says political analyst Levon Shirinyan.
He does not think that Raffi Hovannisian has disappointed his supporters or lost voters by leaving Freedom Square.
"He is carrying on a struggle to revive the national consciousness and change people's mentality. Only those who are aware of the political history will be able to understand the concepts applied by Hovannisian," said the analyst.
He believes that Hovannisian will achieve the desired results if he works hard and patiently.
Political analyst Gegham Nazaryan says Raffi Hovannisian did not surrender Freedom Square as he never owned it.
"Hovannisian simply decided to stop the hunger strike a bit earlier. I think the reason is that he understood that Serzh Sargsyan is not going to step down," he said.
Unlike Shirinyan, Nazaryan thinks that people got more and more disappointed with Hovannisian attending his rallies.
"If Hovannisian continues in the same way, he will soon be unable to change the existing situation," he concluded.
