Opinion: Serzh Sargsyan and Raffi Hovannisian most likely vote-getters in Armenian presidential election

YEREVAN, January 16. /ARKA/. Stepa Safaryan, general secretary of Zharangutiun (Heritage) party, speaking Wednesday at a news conference, pointed out Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian president in office, and Raffi Hovannisian, Heritage party leader, as most likely vote-getters in the presidential elections. 

He said today Raffi Hovannisian has a chance to win presidency.   

“During our election campaign, we will try to attract the voter base of those political parties, which didn’t nominate their candidates,” Safaryan was quoted by Novosti-Armenia News Agency as saying at the press conference.

He said the overwhelming majority of Armenian people hope for changes in the country, but many are in a muddle now for many political forces didn’t nominated their candidates for this presidential election, and opposition parties didn’t nominated a single candidate.  

In his opinion, plenty depends on election campaigns. “If we manage to run an effective and convincing election campaign, we’ll attract votes of those people who haven’t made their choice so far,” Safaryan said. 

Serzh Sargsyan, the Armenian president in office; Hrant Bagratyan, a former prime minister and the leader of Freedom party; Raffi Hovhannisian, a former foreign minister and the leader of Zharangutiun (Heritage) party; Paruyr Hayrikyan, a prominent Soviet-era dissident and the head of the National Self-Determination Party; Arman Melikyan, a former foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Andrias Ghukasyan, a political analyst and head of Radio Hay; Vardan Sedrakyan, a specialist in epics, and Aram Harutyunyan, leader of National Consent party will compete for presidency. 

The polling day is February 18. -0-