Court decision on possible delay of vote depends on Hayrikyan’s health, expert says

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. The constitutional court decision on possible delay of the presidential vote depends on candidate Hayrikyan’s health condition, director of Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan said. 

Hayrikyan who was wounded in a shooting on January 31, applied to the constitutional court Sunday to postpone the elections scheduled for February 18.

“If his health status is quite good, then the court may well reject his application”, Iskandaryan told Novosti-Armenia Agency.

At the same time, according to the expert, further developments depend also on Hayrikyan’s intentions that may vary depending on his contacts with the other candidates who he suggested consolidating.

Hayrikyan have repeatedly suggested the leading opposition candidates, ex-premier Bagratyan and leader of Heritage party Hovanissian, running a joint candidate. Today, just before making an application to the constitutional court to postpone the vote, Hayrikyan urged them again to consolidate and said that he may recall his application if the opposition candidate decide to unite on one platform.

“It is difficult for me to imagine these candidates having consolidated, because, most probably, the suggestion was made quite spontaneously, with no preliminary negotiations held; meanwhile, consolidating these politicians in two or three days and deciding which one will be the principle candidate is not that easy. But, in principle, nothing should be excluded”, Iskandaryan said.

According to Armenia’s Constitution article N 52, presidential elections may be postponed for a two-week period if insurmountable obstacles occur on the way of any presidential nominee. If such obstacles are not eliminated within two-week time, new elections are scheduled and the vote is held on the fortieth day after expiry of the above two-week term.

The vote put-off case is to be considered in the constitutional court under a verbal procedure and the judgment is to be made within four days after the application is received. The court may consider circumstances insurmountable if they make it impossible for the candidate to continue his election campaign.

The next day after the assassination attempt on him Hayrikyan said he might be applying to the court, but on February 5 he made a statement that he would not be requesting a delay of the vote. However, three days later coordinator of Hayrikyan’s election campaign office Manya Ayvazyan said that he would apply to the court Sunday. The basis Hayrikyan gives is that he can’t run the campaign as doctors forbid him to do it.

On February 9, the politician pointed indirectly to another reason for postponement. In his letter to two other contenders Hrant Bagratyan and Raffi Hovanissian, Hayrikyan suggested consolidating the efforts and running a joint candidate. He stressed that if the vote is put off for 14 days, there will be time and an opportunity to unite on one platform. -0-