Hayrikyan withdraws his vote put-off application to Constitutional Court

YEREVAN, February 11. /ARKA/. Armenian presidential contender, leader of National Self-Determination party Paruyr Hayrikyan renounced his vote put-off claim and withdrew his application to the constitutional court made Sunday, press secretary of the court Hovhannes Papikyan told Novosti-Armenia Agency.

The respective recall document was submitted to the court by Hayrikyan’s attorney Levon Baghdasaryan.

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

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. 

Hayrikyan has changed his opinion on the issues for the fourth time over the last 10 days. 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 gave was that he could not run the campaign as doctors had forbidden him to do it.

“My rights were violated, but I had the right to at least compensate for the right to run equal election campaign I lost. On the other hand, I decided not to take advantage of my legitimate right so that no single creep is happy he can influence the democracy process in the country”, Hayrikyan told Novosti-Armenia Agency in explaining the reason for withdrawing his vote postponement application. 

Armenian presidential elections are scheduled for February 18. Seven nominees are running for president: current president Serzh Sargsyan, former prime minister and leader of Freedom party Hrant Bagratyan, former foreign minister and head of Heritage party Raffi Hovhannisyan, famous Soviet dissident and leader of National Self-Determination party Paruyr Hayrikyan, ex foreign minister of Karabakh Arman Melikyan, political scientist and head of Radio Hay Andrias Ghukasyan and philologist Vardan Sedrakyan. -0-