Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Armenian National Conciliation Party leader Aram Harutyunyan deems further rivalry for the president's post unfounded and has no confidence in a fair conduct of the February 18 election, PanArmenian.net reported on Tuesday.

"The upcoming elections can't be legitimate, while those ready to continue the struggle legitimize the authorities," Harutyunyan told a press conference on Tuesday.

Harutyunyan further spoke of his two programs, with the first one demanding that all of the presidential hopefuls should discontinue the struggle, leaving incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan as the sole candidate. The second program urges Sargsyan to withdraw his candidacy and step down.

Another Armenian presidential candidate, Arman Melikyan, told the press on Tuesday that he may leave the presidential race as well. In case of non-compliance with the law during the elections, there are two scenarios for the nominee. He and his team might claim they don't recognize the legitimacy of the election and drop out of the presidential race.

"My name will not be included in the ballot list as a candidate, although the election will continue. But there is another option. On the eve of the election, we may state that the elections are illegitimate, regardless of the fact that my name is on the list, and of the outcome of the elections," he said.

Melikyan also voiced reluctance to launch the campaign with the election legitimacy problems remaining unsolved.

"2012 parliamentary polls proved that the situation remains unchanged. We are unwilling to launch the campaign, as it will be yet another demonstration of deceit.

"We must let people regain power," he said, adding that there is no justice system in Armenia.

Melikyan stated that this is not a challenge and he has no desire to denigrate anyone.

Meanwhile, presidential candidate Andreas Ghukasyan started the campaign with the promised hunger strike, 7or.am reported.

Ghukasyan stated that he will stop the hunger strike only when Sargsyan withdraws from the presidential race or if the European countries state that Armenia is a non-democratic country and stop implementing their observation missions.

"I will stop the hunger strike only in case society will be aware that there is no democratic state in Armenia, it should be built, and this task will become a priority on the political agenda. My demand is to end the rigged elections," Ghukasyan said.

Furthermore, presidential candidate, leader of the Union National Self-Determination Party Paruyr Hayrikyan announced that if Ghukasyan did not stop the hunger strike, he would join him for a few days and would try to persuade him to stop it. He added that the hunger strike is useful and that he holds a hunger strike several times a year.

Hayrikyan also believes that Ghukasyan has alienated many people as a result of such a radical approach.

The president of Armenia is elected for a term of 5 years. The pre-election campaign started on Jan. 21 and will end at midnight on Feb. 16.

Eight candidates are contesting the post of Armenian president: incumbent President Sargsyan, former PM Hrant Bagratyan of the Freedom party, former FM and chairman of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Arman Melikyan, Andreas Ghukasyan, Vardan Setrakyan and Aram Harutyunyan.