Minutes ago, Raffi Hovannisian concluded a press conference in Freedom Square. He is now headed to Mysanikyan Square to pay his respects to those who died during the civil unrest of March 1, 2008.

Hovannisian again declared that no foreign power should presume the right to teach the Armenian people lessons in democracy and to tell Armenians who their freely elected president is.

Hovannisian said it was his constitutional right to reject the official presidential election results and that he would use all constitutional and legal means to return the government to the people.

Hovannisian labelled the popular movement in support of his efforts as a pan-national struggle for justice and freedom.

He reiterated his belief that the people of Armenia seeking a fundamental change in the country’s government and public institutions should not expect overnight solutions, since the problems facing Armenia are system-wide.

He confessed that the Heritage Party and civic election observers could have been better organized to register election fraud and violations, especially in rural communities.

Nevertheless, he said there was irrefutable proof of widespread election fraud and cited how soldiers were conveyed to polling stations in order to vote for Serzh Sargsyan.

He did not rule out the possibility that the Heritage Party would field a candidate in the upcoming Yerevan mayoral election, citing local elections as part and parcel of his campaign to return government to the people in every town and village in Armenia.

He warned the ruling regime to stop spreading rumors that due to the unresolved political situation, security up and down Armenia’s borders is suffering.

Hovannisian warned that it was unacceptable and dangerous for the regime to use the pretext of national security in order to drive a wedge in the movement for political rights and social freedom now unfolding in Armenia.

He concluded by urging all Armenians to join with him tomorrow at Freedom Square where a number of organizational and agenda issues would be jointly discussed.