[2] He was Vice-President of the National Assembly of Armenia from 2007 to 2008 and was a candidate in the February 2008 presidential election.

In 1978, he graduated from the Moscow State Pedagogical University with degrees in history and archaeology.

Afterwards, he was an advisor to Robert Kocharyan, the President of Armenia, as well as head of the Commission on Issues of Local Self-Government, from 1998 to 1999.

[2] In the presidential election held on February 19, 2008, Hovhannisyan, running as the ARF candidate, won 6.2% of the vote.

Hovhannisyan died of complications from prostate cancer on December 28, 2014.