Hayrikian to ask for 15 day postponement of election

YEREVAN, February 1. / ARKA /. An Armenian   presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan who was shot and wounded on Thursday late evening, told reporters today he wanted to postpone the presidential election by two weeks.

"The doctors say my recovery will take a lot of time, but I have to do everything so that the election is not cancelled. There are two options to postpone the election – by 15 days which I will have to ask the Constitutional Court for and the other option is organization of new elections in 40 days. We are in the process that needs to be finalized," Hayrikyan told reporters.

Hayrikyan, 63, the leader of a moderate opposition party, the National Self-determination Union, was shot in the shoulder close to his home in the capital Yerevan on Thursday night. Doctors removed the bullet on Friday and said his life was not in danger. Parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian said according to Armenia's constitution, the election could be postponed by two weeks if a candidate is unable to campaign or run. 

The February 18 election will be contested by eight candidates - the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan, former prime minister Hrant Bagratian, ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian, a Soviet time dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan, former foreign minister of Karabakh Arman Melikyan, a political analyst Andrias Ghukasyan, a businessman Vartan Sedrakian and Aram Harutyunyan, leader of a small National Unity party. -0-