Protesting presidential candidate continues hunger-strike in Armenia’s capital

tert.am
14:04 – 27.01.13

Andrias Ghukasyan, the presidential candidate who declared an
open-ended hunger-strike in central Yerevan last week, now complains
about a recent survey by the European Friends of Armenia.

The candidate, who has entered into the seventh day of his protest,
says the survey returns saying that most of Armenia’s population
treats the upcoming election seriously is an attempt to distract
public attention.

`That’s a report not corresponding with the reality and devoid of any
logic. Otherwise it would mean the Armenian nation is stupid enough to
declare that living under the criminal oligarchy’s yoke is the only
preferable option for it,’ he said.

Agreeing that some in Armenia may still really support the incumbent
president, Ghukasyan noted that these people are actually a very small
group of the country’s population.

`It is naturally common in the public to support the
criminal-oligarchic regime, but that cannot be half or more than half
of the
society,’ he said, adding that no more than 10 or 15 percent of
Armenia’s voters may choose such an option.

Ghukasyan considers the survey a component of what he called
fabricated elections.

Speaking about his health, the candidate said he has no intention to
stop his protest. `My health is all right if I am here; otherwise I
would be in hospital,’ he contined.

Ghukasyan said many have visited him since he declared a hunger strike
in front of the National Academy of Sciences. `People share the demand
that it is necessary to put an end to fabricated elections and
environment of deception,’ he added,

As for rhe other candidates, Ghukasian said he particularly
appreciates the decision of Paruyr Hayrikyan, the leader of National
Self-Determination Union, to go on a dry hunger-strike.

`Paruyr Hayrikyan declared a hunger-strike, a dry hunger strike which
is the extreme form [of the protest]. That says it all,’ the candidate
said, adding that he will not stop his protest unless all his demands
are met.

Ghukasyan went on an open-ended hunger-strike on January 21, the very
first day of the pre-election campaign, with a demand suspending the
OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission in Armenia. He had earlier
asked the Central Election Commission not to register President Serzh
Sargsyan as a candidate.

Regarding Raffi Hovhannisyan, the opposition Heritage party’s leader
who is also running for president, he said that candidate now inquires
only after his health, in spite of earlier calls for ceasing the
protest.

Ghukasyan complained further that the TV channels fail to provide a
balanced coverage of all the candidates’ campaigns.

`My team informs me that the reporting is not balanced. The trend in
television is to provide little coverage of the hunger-strike and
focus more on the other campaigns,’ he added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress