December 18, 2006

Yet Another Authority-Ordered Roadblock Placed
Against Raffi Hovannisian’s Public Meetings

Vanadzor—On December 16, the Abelian State Dramatic Theater of the town of Vanadzor was to become the venue for the civil gathering between the town’s residents and the Heritage Party founder Raffi K. Hovannisian. However, despite a signed, sealed, valid, and binding contract on which rent had been paid a month in advance, the theater reneged on the contract just a couple of days before the scheduled meeting. In “justification,” it initially argued that they were awaiting the arrival of the Sundukian Dramatic Theater’s cast from Yerevan. Subsequently, it claimed that the theater’s stage was in the process of renovation, and finally contended that its hall lacked electricity.

These “excuses,” however, did not discourage the Vanadzor locals as they assembled around the nearby square, and an impromptu citizens’ meeting followed with Heritage board chairman Vardan Khachatrian. Answering the people’s numerous questions, Khachatrian specifically elucidated as to why the authorities are attempting by every means to hinder Raffi Hovannisian’s public contacts. “Whether or not the theater’s assistant director Hovhannes Azizbekyan keeps his word with regard to allocating the hall, Raffi Hovannisian, nonetheless, will fulfill his right as a citizen of Armenia, and will speak—both in Vanadzor and everywhere else in the country—with the people in a noble and honest manner,” Khachatrian assured those present.

This episode comes to refute once again the deceitful and hypocritical assertions made by the ruling powers that all Armenian political figures, supposedly, enjoy equal conditions and rights. What is more, the presidentially-conceived “black list” wholly forbids access for Heritage’s founder to the television media, both state and private, which all are under strict supervision and vertical control.

Over the past months Raffi Hovannisian and the Heritage Party have, under varying pretexts, been deprived by national and municipal authorities of the rental use of both public and private halls for the exercise of their constitutional right of peaceful assembly in Yerevan, Giumri, Vanadzor, Armavir, Etchmiadzin, Dilijan, Artashat, Yegheknadzor, Sisian, Kapan, and elsewhere. Other political organizations have freely used—and even broadcasted from—the very premises in question.

There can only be one explanation for such actions of the authorities: the incumbent regime is in deep fear of its own people, and can no longer look truth in the eye.