ArmInfo
The February 18 presidential election in Armenia maybe postponed after an assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikyan, candidate for president of Armenia, Leader of the union for National Self-Determination Party, overnight. Parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamyan made such a supposition, the Public Television of Armenia reports.
In compliance with the Constitution of Armenia, presidential election is to be postponed for two weeks in case if a candidate faces insurmountable obstacles.
The speaker assessed the attempt on Hayrikyan's life as a crime against the Armenian statehood. Abrahamyan said that he personally talked to Hayrikyan and his state was normal.
The incident happened in Tpagrichnery Street in Yerevan. Hayrikyan was hospitalized with a gunshot wound in shoulder. Chief physician of the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center Hayrikyan was taken to assesses the candidate's health state as moderately grave. Hayrikyan's life is no longer in danger, and he does not been surgical operation.
Head of the Armenian Police Vladimir Gasparyan said that investigation has been launched. Asked if the incident may influence the presidential election, Gasparyan said that he does not think the election will be postponed. In the meanwhile, Hayrikyan's partymen say the attempt was connected with their leader's presidential race.
Thus, the presidential candidates are as follows: incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan from the Republican Party and former prime minister Hrant Bagratyan from the Liberty Party. All the remaining are self- nominated candidates: Leader of the Union for National Self-Determination Party Paruyr Hayrikyan, Leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian, Advisor for Political Issues of the Refugees and the International Law Civil Society Network, ex-foreign minister of NKR Arman Melikyan, Leader of National Accord Party Aram Haroutiunyan, political expert Andrias Ghukasyan, and specialist in
epic Vardan Sedrakyan. The elections will be held on Feb 18 2013.
February 01, 2013 at 11:14