Presidential election campaign kicks off in Armenia

YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. Presidential election campaign started in Armenia Monday and will continue till 16 February, 24:00.

Eight nominees are registered to run for Armenia’s 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, philologist Vardan Sedrakyan and leader of National Consent party Aram Harutinyan. 

The toss made by the central electoral commission determined that the leader of National Self-Determination party Paruyr Hayrikyan is the first to use his free TV broadcast time on January 21. The current president Serzh Sargsyan will get his free TV time the last on February 16.

According to the election code, candidates will have the right to use not more than 60 minutes of free time on Public TV and up to 120 minutes of free time on Public Radio.

Apart from that, the nominees are allowed to take advantage of paid time on Public TV (up to 120 minutes) and Public Radio (up to 180 minutes). 

The forthcoming elections are the sixth ones in independent Armenia. The first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan was elected in 1991 and re-elected in 1996, but had to leave the post in 1998 due to disputes among the leadership on the Karabakh peace process.

The second president Robert Kocharyan ruled over Armenia in 1998-2008. The current president Serzh Sargsyan was elected on February 19, 2008. -0-