P.S. Retro: Leave Vano Siradeghyan alone! (video)
After the change of power in 1998, the Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) lived through hard times. Few people participated in the rally held by the HHSh and other liberal forces. Deputy Chairman of the HHSh Board Andranik Hovakimyan said liberal ideas would never be able to draw large crowds: Communists organize rallies much easier. TV viewers wanted Andranik Hovakimyan to confess that the HHSh had destroyed the Soviet Armenia, which was a flourishing country then, and that [second President] Robert Kocharyan simply continued looting the country. The HHSh representative agreed that there was looting while there were in power, but ‘we have not been in power for three years.’ “We have not formed a political majority in the National Assembly for three years. Everything could have been corrected and changed over years but we have seen the opposite.” Andranik Hovakimyan said Robert Kocharyan should prove that he was right in the Karabakh issue, but there were rumours that Armenia was going to sell Meghri to Azerbaijan. HHSh board chairman Vano Siradeghyan fled Armenia only month ago to avoid criminal prosecution. Andranik Hovakimyan said he was unaware of Siradeghyan’s whereabouts. Viewers advised Mr. Hovakimyan to leave Siradeghyan alone; he is not in good standing. Andranik Hovakimyan died of a heart attack in May 2008.
