page_title: 2013 Armenian protests
section_title: Hunger strike (10–31 March)
hierarchical_section_title: 2013 Armenian protests / 'Barevolution' / Hunger strike (10–31 March)
caption_attribution_description: English: 2013 Armenian presidential election protests
context_page_description: Various political and civil groups staged anti-government protests in Armenia in 2013. The first series of protests were held following the 2013 presidential election and were led by the former presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian. Hovannisian, who, according to official results, lost to incumbent Serzh Sargsyan, denounced the results claiming they were rigged. Starting on 19 February, Hovannisian and his supporters held mass rallies in Yerevan's Freedom Square and other cities. On 10 March, Hovannisian started a hunger strike, calling elected President Sargsyan to resign before 9 April, the inauguration day. Hovannisian called "for the solution of this unprecedented pan-national fundamental issue before April 9." During an interview on 18 March 2013, Sargsyan said he would not visit Hovannisian and described his claims as "arrogant phrases seasoned with obscenities". Sargsyan was inaugurated on 9 April 2013, while Hovannisian and thousands of people gathered in the streets of Yerevan to protest it, clashing with the police forces blocking the way to the Presidential Palace.
context_section_description: On 10 March 2013, after addressing his supporters in Freedom Square, Hovannisian announced about his decision to start a hunger strike. He urged President-elect Serzh Sargsyan to resign. According to Hovannisian, "this is not just a hunger strike, but a boycott against lies and fraud."
  At the end, he stated that "[i]f on April 9 [the inauguration date] he [Serzh Sargsyan] gives a pseudo-oath on the Constitution and the Holy Bible and the Supreme Patriarch blesses it and thus defiles the Bible, they will do it on my dead body."
  On 11 March 2013, after the first day of the hunger strike, Hovannisian described his action as "the new milestone of registering the de jure victory of the Armenian people."
  Several notable politicians visited Hovannisian the next day. Among them former Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan, 2003 Presidential candidate Stepan Demirchyan, former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, former Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan, MP Nikol Pashinyan and Andrias Ghukasyan.  That day, talking about a possible solution of the conflict, Hovannisian also stated that the solution "should be a complex, integral, immediate and guaranteed" one "that I will be able to report to the people to end this standoff." His request to put up a tent was rejected by the police.
  On 14 March 2013, the Constitutional Court of Armenia issued a verdict confirming the victory of President Sargsyan.
  On 15 March 2013, Hovik Abrahamyan, the Speaker of the National Assembly, visited Hovannisian. Abrahamyan stated that they "have not come to any common denominator, but I think that most likely we will meet again to discuss these issues."
  Hovannisian later announced about holding civil forums at the Freedom Square. By 21 March 2012, five such events were held with the presence of Nikol Pashinyan, Andrias Ghukasyan, Tigran Khzmalyan and others.
  On 22 March 2013, thousands gathered at Freedom Square to hear Hovannisian's speech. He proposed Sargsyan a "last and minimum level" compromise, which called for a "comprehensive power sharing" with the authorities. His proposal includes two options. The first is "immediate conduct of new presidential elections." Hovannisian's second option is "the sharing of power between the authorities and the people" by holding snap parliamentary elections by the end of the year and replacing key regional governors and government members candidates proposed by Hovannisian. Hovannisian later signed it in front of the crowd ready to be sent to President Serzh Sargsyan.
  On 25 March 2013, President Sargsyan responded to Hovannisian's proposal, urging Hovannisian to "stop the hunger strike, recuperate for a day or two" and then the two "will start working seriously together."
  In the days following, Hovannisian and Sargsyan sent each other letters to start a dialogue. Sargsyan insisted that Hovannisian stop the hunger strike and visit the Presidential Palace, while Hovannisian proposed several times for Sargsyan to go to the Freedom Square and start a negotiation process there.
  On 29 March 2013, Hovannisian declared that he will end the hunger strike on the Easter day on 31 March and start to visit the regions. As promised, Hovannisian ended his hunger strike on 31 March.
caption: Hovannisian giving an interview in the Freedom Square on 11 March 2013
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