(1959-11-20) November 20, 1959 (age 64) Fresno, California, U.S.
Political party
Heritage
Spouse
Armenouhi Hovannisian (m. 1985)
Relations
Richard Hovannisian (father)
Children
Garin, Daron, Van, Shushi, Armen-Richard
Residence(s)
Nor Nork, Yerevan
Alma mater
University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles Tufts University Georgetown University
Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian (Armenian: Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; Western Armenian: Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան;[1] born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and the founding leader of the national liberal Heritage party. He is the founder of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies, the country's first independent research center.
Hovannisian, a descendant of Armenian genocide survivors, was born in Fresno, California to a family of professors. He moved to Armenia with his family in 1990 and was appointed as the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the newly independent Armenia by then-President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In 2002, Hovannisian founded the Heritage party, which won 6% of the popular vote in the 2007 parliamentary election.[2]
In 2013, Hovannisian was one of the seven candidates at the presidential election and came in second with 37% vote. He claimed victory due to alleged electoral fraud. In days following the election, protests took place both in Yerevan (Freedom Square in particular) and other cities and towns throughout Armenia. Hovannisian urged Sargsyan to accept "people's victory" and concede his defeat.[3] Hovannisian called the movement 'Barevolution', a portmanteau of 'barev' (բարև, 'hello') and 'revolution', referring to his habit of walking up to people and greeting them during the election campaign.[4][5] The protests gradually faded by April of that year.
^Րաֆֆի Յովհաննէսեան in classical Armenian orthography
^Hovannisian Seeks Extra Parliament Seat, HRA, 2007
^"Thousands protest in Armenia after president re-elected". Reuters. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
^"Is Armenia On The Brink Of A 'Barevolution'?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
^"Color Coding: "Orange" or "rose" or "apricot", "Barevolution" is re-shaping definition of post-election conflict in Armenia". ArmeniaNow. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian (Armenian: Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; Western Armenian: Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an...
vote. Hovannisian came second with 37%, while the other candidates earned less than 4% of the total vote. Sargsyan's main opponent RaffiHovannisian claimed...
election and were led by the former presidential candidate RaffiHovannisian. Hovannisian, who, according to official results, lost to incumbent Serzh...
politician Raffi K. Richard Hovannisian and founder of Orran benevolent non-governmental organization Armine K. Hovannisian. Garin Hovannisian is a graduate...
founder of Teach For Armenia RaffiHovannisian, American-born Armenian politician, Foreign Minister of Armenia Richard Hovannisian (1932–2023), Armenian American...
representatives of the National Assembly of Artsakh in Yerevan. Artur Hovannisian, a Civil Contract lawmaker claimed that "the ongoing antigovernment protests...
University of California, Los Angeles with his lawyer Mayer Morganroth (right) and the former Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs RaffiHovannisian (left)...
there) in order to avoid being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. RaffiHovannisian renounced U.S. citizenship in April 2001 and made himself stateless...
musician with multiple Grammy Awards for bluegrass and traditional music RaffiHovannisian '77 – first Foreign Minister of independent Armenia Nick Itkin '17...
attempts were voted down by the ruling Republican Party. Its leader, RaffiHovannisian (post-Soviet Armenia's first foreign minister), has hinted at Western...
parliamentarians. Armenian Minister of Parliament and Former Foreign Minister RaffiHovannisian, a leader of Heritage, began a hunger strike in Freedom Square on...
the early 1990s, some becoming notable in their ancestral homeland. RaffiHovannisian, a Fresno-born third-generation Armenian American lawyer, moved to...
in the election: Prosperous Armenia - Gagik Tsarukyan Heritage - RaffiHovannisian Armenian National Congress - Levon Ter-Petrosyan Armenian Revolutionary...
later rose to fame as a television personality. 1987 1997 Q4 1997 RaffiHovannisian Politician Jus soli Armenia Hovannisyan was born in Brentwood, California...
Jirair Sefilian; the New Times Party; and the Heritage Party, led by RaffiHovannisian. Final results from the election, which was held on 19 February 2008...
Oskanian and RaffiHovannisian and their respective political parties to participate in the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election. The "Ohanian-Raffi-Oskanian"...
Alabama's 1st congressional district Allison Janney, actress November 20 RaffiHovannisian, American-born Armenian politician James McGovern, lawyer and politician...
anticipated end of emergency rule); this request has been rejected. RaffiHovannisian's Zharangutyun party said in a statement that "the schism between the...
politician, current Prime Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hayrikyan, politician RaffiHovannisian, politician Levon Oganezov, Russian filmmaker of Armenian origin Gor...
"strategic partnership" between Russia and Azerbaijan. On February 7, 2015 RaffiHovannisian, the leader of the national liberal Heritage party called for the...
Turkey. Opposition politician and 2013 presidential election runner-up RaffiHovannisian stated that: The 100th anniversary does not imply an end to the struggle...
center based in Yerevan. The ACNIS is the institutional initiative of RaffiHovannisian, Armenia's former Minister of Foreign Affairs and founder of the Heritage...
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