WOUNDED ARMENIAN CANDIDATE PLANS TO DELAY ELECTION
(c) AFP 2013
21:01 08/02/2013
YEREVAN, February 8 (RIA Novosti) – Armenian presidential candidate
Paruyr Hayrikyan, who was shot in the shoulder last week, said he
plans to appeal to Armenia’s Constitutional Court with a request to
postpone the vote by two weeks.
“I will ask the court to delay the election if I am unable to continue
the election campaign,” Hayrikyan said, adding that at present he
cannot participate in the vote for health reasons.
Earlier this week, Hayrikyan said he had no intention of delaying
the election, to avoid promoting further instability in the country.
However, he later said he had changed his mind under pressure from
his supporters.
Manya Ayvazyan, Hayrikyan’s campaign manager, told RIA Novosti on
Friday that the candidate wants his request to the Constitutional
Court to be dated February 10.
If within four days – the period needed for the court to consider the
request – Hayrikyan’s condition improves, the candidate will waive
the request to postpone the election, she said.
The 63-year-old leader of the Union for National Self-Determination
was shot near his house in the capital Yerevan late on January 31. The
bullet was later safely removed during surgery.
Armenia’s oonstitution states that elections can be delayed for two
weeks if a candidate faces “insurmountable circumstances.”
Such a delay would have to be initially requested by the candidate
himself, and then it is up to the country’s Constitutional Court
to decide on the issue, David Arutunyan, who chairs Armenia’s
parliamentary commission on legal issues, said last week.
Hayrikyan is one of eight candidates running in Armenia’s presidential
election on February 18, which analysts predict is likely to bring
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan back for a second term.
An opinion poll held in Armenia by the Russian state pollster VTsIOM
in late January found that some 61 percent of respondents would back
Sargsyan, while only five percent said they were ready to vote for
Hayrikyan. Some 27 percent the respondents said they support Heritage
party leader Raffi Hovannisian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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