Armenian Combat Karate National Federation president out of presidential election race- media sources

YEREVAN, January 10. /ARKA/. The president of Armenian Combat Karate Kobudo National Federation Taron Abrahamyan refused to run for president of Armenia as he lacks financial means,  he said in the interview with Galatv.am TV company, Novosti-Armenia news agency reported yesterday.

“Unfortunately, we were only able to collect up to 14 million drams (over $34,000). We failed to collect 24 million drams (nearly $61,000) necessary for the election pledge (about $20,000) and the election campaign. I decided today to refuse from running for president, as the amount is not enough for the appropriate racing,” the company quoted Abrahamyan. 

Ruben Ayvazyan, a member of Prosperous Armenia party who was registered at Central Electoral Commission’s website as a lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights, also announced Wednesday on quitting the election race. 

Fifteen citizens submitted their documents to the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia to register as presidential candidates.

The day of the application deadline was last Friday, 6 p.m. local time (the same as Moscow time). The registration process opened January 4 and will end on January 14. The election campaign is to be kicked off on January 21 and end on February 16, 24:00 (12 a.m.). The presidential elections will be held on February 18.

The incumbent president, Serzh Sargsyan, is the main favorite in the upcoming presidential race. The ruling Republican Party of Armenia officially nominated Sargsyan on December 15. The motto of the incumbent’s election campaign is “Towards secure Armenia.”

Sargsyan’s opponents will be the former prime minister of Armenia and Freedom party leader Hrant Bagratyan, the former foreign minister and Heritage party leader Raffi Hovhannisian, the famous dissident in the Soviet times, Union for National self-determination party leader Paruyr Hayrikyan.

Narine Mkrtchyan, the chief of the National press club, the professor at Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan, is the first woman candidate to join the race. 

The documents were also submitted by the leader of National Consent party Aram Harutyunyan, former foreign minister of Karabakh Arman Meliqyan, political scientist Andrias Ghukasyan, specialist in epos Vardan Sedrakyan, Kashatagh NGO chairman Robert Simonyan, pensioner Pavlik Sargsyan, unemployed Robert Aharonyan and Mher Hayrapetyan.  -0-