The History of Relations between Raffi Hovhannisyan and Seyran Ohanyan

Today former Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan, former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovhannisyan and former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan signed a memorandum on forming a bloc during the parliamentary elections to be held in April.

However, in the recent past, the relations between leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan were quite different.

Thus, in December 2015, during the rally of “New Armenia” movement, Mr Hovhannisyan had stated that apart from Serzh Sargsyan and Hovik Abrahamyan, he would hereinafter demand the resignation of Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan as well, accusing the latter in vote rigging.

“Unfortunately, today we have to report that the person who may become RA president has participated in a state crime by sending the servicemen to open, directed voting, and, hence, I demand Seyran Ohanyan’s resignation”, Mr. Hovhannisyan had stated.

In response, Mr. Ohanyan had advised the leader of Heritage Party to “engage himself in other activities”, adding that he could not refuse from serving his motherland.

Nevertheless, the beginning of Raffi Hovhannisyan – Seyran Ohanyan confrontation can be considered the year 2013 when Hovhannisyan publicly accused Ohanyan in participating in the election fraud during presidential elections, and demanded the latter’s resignation.