Armenia: U.S.-Born Politician Endorses Former President in Elections
Onnik Krikorian at OneWorld Multimedia reports that Armenian-American repatriate Raffi Hovhannisian, a politician seen as uncorrupted by many, has endorsed presidential candidate and former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan (LTP), under who Hovhannisian worked in the early 1990s.
In the most important news of recent weeks so far, it was today announced that the Heritage Party of U.S.-born former foreign minister, Raffi Hovannisian, has decided to back former president Levon Ter-Petrossian in the presidential election next week. Such support was considered vital for Ter-Petrossian by some observers and certainly makes the 19 February vote more likely to be held in two rounds.
Although Heritage only polled 81,048 votes during last year’s parliamentary election, some believe it actually attracted twice as much. However, more importantly for Ter-Petrossian, perhaps, is that Heritage’s support affords him a certain amount of credibility with a significant number of voters who were confused, undecided or wavering before.
Although Hovhannisian’s support will undoubtedly help the former president in the elections, the same support may harm Hovhannisian’s credibility in the eyes of many Armenians who see LTP accountable for the extreme poverty and violence that swept newly independent Armenia in the 1990s.
My two cents to LTP’s campaign – not that I am going to vote for their candidate – is to have someone else write LTP’s speeches. I mean “speeches” and not academic lectures with luxurious terminology some of which are coined by the former president.
Here is an outline that may be of help (all candidates invited to use).
Start you speech with an attention getter – a quote or even a joke (being funny may help to).
Smile sometimes when you talk – not in a way that it shows like you are happy or laugh at the people but that you are smiling because you enjoy talking to the people who have gathered to listen to you.
After the attention getter hit to the topic and review what you will be talking about.
Each paragraph should make sense and support one main point which will itself support the very main point hinted to in the introduction.
Don’t use academic terms – use words that ordinary people will understand but talk politely and grammatically.
Talk to the people who you are talking to. Giving an academic lecture in the Liberty Square is ignorant and arrogant and shows disrespect. Now, most people won’t complain about the lectures (and some will be surprised and happy that they didn’t understand any word – so they are voting for a smart guy!) but something in them will make uncomfortable about the speech.
Onnik Krikorian on 12 Feb 2008 at 10:17 pm #
Simon, it’s important to note that the decision was made by Heritage and not Hovannisian on his own. Indeed, according to RFE/RL’s report it is not said whether Hovannisian voted for Ter-Petrossian or not. Moreover, he “declined” to attend the press conference the day after the decision was made.
However, in my opinion, that’s how it should be. Whether people support Ter-Petrossian or not, Heritage made a decision based on a democratic show of hands and long deliberation. I wouldn’t vote for Ter-Petrossian either although Heritage’s endorsement goes a long way in settling some doubts and concerns I have about his candidacy and the team around him.
On the other hand, I also agree with you. Endorsement by Heritage might give Ter-Petrossian some much needed credibility with wavering or undecided voters. However, of two that I know well, one will be happy about the decision and the other won’t be. Indeed, the first says she will reluctantly vote for Levon to stop Serge coming to power, while the other says he will reluctantly vote for Serge to stop Levon returning.
Actually, he also added recently that he’s deeply disappointed by Hovannisian although as we don’t know whether he supported the move or not, that’s a little unfair. Regardless, if he did vote against or abstain, I think its credit to him for allowing those senior in his party to decide rather than do what most “leaders” do here which is dictate.
Anyway, it remains to be seen how this will affect the vote because in 2003 Hovannisian’s involvement in street protests didn’t achieve anything, and nor did his protest after the 2005 referendum. Of course, the situation is different now, but the main point is that while this has the possibility to bolster Ter-Petrossian’s chances we don’t know for sure.
Moreover, a more pressing question for me is whether Hovannisian will join Ter-Petrossian on the podium at Saturday’s rally or will it be other members of Heritage. This really is something to wait for to see. Anyway.