Raffi Hovannisian, the former U.S. born Prime Minister of Armenia, seems to be headed 
back into Armenia's political arena. And if this is true, it could be the best thing that 
happened to Armenia since their independence in 1991. 

Raffi Hovannisian, as I'm quite sure most of us know, is the son of the world-acclaimed 
Armenian historian, Richard Hovannisian, and a physician mother, who has traveled to 
Armenia on many missions of mercy and who has shared her insight and experiences with 
those of us in the Diaspora. And judging by that old adage, that an apple doesn't fall far 
from the tree, it is therefore a certainty that Armenia's politics would be better served with 
Raffi back in it than out of it. Being a dedicated and honest Armenian, Raffi would add 
credibility to Armenian politics. 

At one time, I was an outspoken and staunch supporter of Armenia's leaders. But with all 
of the negative things that we've been hearing and reading about, along with all of the 
capital crimes over there that seemingly remain unresolved, it leaves one to wonder. 
For instance, Vano Siradeghian, a Parliament member who was accused of murder before 
being tried, was voted by fellow Parliament members to keep his seat. Today he is still 
untried because he skipped town for two years before it came to trial. At present, he's still 
out of town but he's trying to justify his absence while in the process of trying to regain 
his seat in Parliament. What happened to his accusers and his trial? Is he guilty or is he 
innocent? 

Nairi Hunanian, along with accomplices who gunned down eight key Armenian 
Parliament members on October 27, 1999, is still being tried for his crime. On June 2001, 
six possible suspects were set free without proper investigation or authorization. 

Then, of course, we read about the continuing mass migration from Armenia or about 
young Armenian soldiers dying in the military because of excessive corporal punishment. 
We also hear of a recent U.N. survey which tells us that 55% of Armenia's citizens are 
still living below the poverty level. All this, while our religiously one but administratively 
divided Armenian church has completed building a seven-million-dollar cathedral in 
Yerevan. Where is the Christian charity and unity we've been hearing about for the last 
seventeen-hundred-years? 

And as if this were't enough, we are also told that many members of Parliament refuse to 
submit a tax return or to disclose their net worth and, even worse, how they are able to 
afford luxury cars or the mansions they presently live in. We also hear how President 
Kocharian closed the A1 Plus television station in Armenia. The only media that tried to 
be objective. When was the last time a U.S. President shut down an objective major 
media? Oh, and let us not forget the Value Added Tax that Armenia's Parliament levied 
on charitable contributions. Who's going to lend a charitable hand to a country that taxes 
charity? 

No, I'm sorry to say, though I want the best for the homeland, I'm not thoroughly 
convinced that Armenia is turning out to be a true democracy. And as such, I am looking 
forward to people like Raffi Hovannisian getting back into the political arena. Though I 
may not always be in agreement with his political decisions, of one thing I am sure. This 
young patriot has no hidden agenda and whatever his decisions, we can be sure, whether 
we agree with them or not, that they will be beneficial in intent and beyond questionable 
doubt of motivation in spirit.  

Being an objective individual, with modest intelligence, I've been biting my tongue with 
the fragile hope that what I've been reading and hearing about Armenia regarding the 
existing conditions, are at best, not true, or at worst, justifiable to some degree. But with 
little if any objective counter-evaluations from dependable sources to go on, I felt that I 
was obligated to make my feelings known.  

Joseph Vosbikian