Armenian presidential candidate Hayrikyan says he has a good single-candidate scheme

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. Paruyr Hayrikyan who is registered as a candidate for the president  of Armenia declared Monday he has a good formula for oppositional forces to continue election race through teaming up for nominating a single candidate. 

“ I have a good scheme which was tested in 1996,” Hayrikyan said.

Paruyr Hayrikyan, a leader of Union for National Self-Determination party, was gunned to shoulder on January 31 in Yerevan. He was hospitalized where he had a successful surgery. 

Later Hayrikyan recommended to the leading oppositional forces—former PM Hrant Bagratyan, Heritage party leader  Raffi Hovannisian, to unite and nominate a single presidential candidate. 

The candidate also stated that he “is not waiting for anyone and works the way  a single candidate would work.”

The other candidates should identify for themselves what is more important for them, “the second or third place or the first place in a team,” he said.

On Monday Paruyr Hayrikyan renounced his vote put-off claim and withdrew his application to the constitutional court made Sunday. It was the fourth time over the past 10 days  the candidate had changed his intentions. 

The next day after the assassination attempt was made, Hayrikyan said he might be applying to the court, but on February 5 he declared on refusing from postponing the election day. Three days later coordinator of Hayrikyan’s election campaign office Manya Ayvazyan said the candidate had decided to apply to the court  on Sunday. Hayrikyan explained he could not run the campaign as doctors had forbidden him to do so.

Criminal prosecution is brought under Penal Code articles 34-305 (assassination attempt on a statesman, a political or a public figure for the purpose of ceasing his activities is punished with imprisonment for ten to fifteen years or life imprisonment).

A joint investigation group involving staffs of the Police and the National Security Service has been set up; the case comes under the jurisdiction of the National Security Service.

Last Friday the intelligence office said it had detained two suspects, Khachatur Poghosyan and Samvel Harutyunyan, who had been later arrested for two months. NSS reported a day later on finding a “Nagant” revolver at the apartment of Khachatur Poghosyan.

Presidential elections of Armenia are scheduled for February 18. 

The following candidates will be leading the race:  current president Serzh Sargsyan, former prime minister and leader of Freedom party Hrant Bagratyan, former foreign minister and head of Heritage party Raffi Hovannisian, famous Soviet dissident and leader of National Self-Determination party Paruyr Hayrikyan, former  foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikyan, political scientist and head of Radio Hay Andrias Ghukasyan, philologist Vardan Sedrakyan. -0-