Ex-presidential candidate Ovannisyan urges young people to stop hunger strike

Raffi Ovannisyan, a former presidential candidate of Armenia and the leader of the oppositional "Heritage" Party, who holds a hunger strike in Freedom Square in Yerevan to protest against the rigged election, called the young people who had joined him to stop their action.

The hunger strike is held in the open air; and 20-30 persons, including activists of the "Heritage" Party, are all the time near Raffi Ovannisyan. The local media, especially TV channels, are covering the action in detail, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

"I took this step alone; and I don't want anyone else to damage his or her health. I called today these young people to stop the hunger strike, I need them strong and healthy," said Ovannisyan.

The politician has also noted that he "feels well and does not need any doctor's help."

"This morning, Raffi Ovannisyan called us to stop our hunger strike. I can't disobey him. If he thinks that it is now better to stop the action, I should follow his advice, since I respect the appeal of our leader," Suren Melkonyan, one of the four young men who had announced a hunger strike in Freedom Square, said in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Samvel Manukyan, another co-hunger-striker, has made a similar decision. According to his story, he is ready at any moment to support Raffi Ovannisyan.