Top Armenian court rejects pleas of ex-presidential nominees
By Sabina Idayatova
Armenia's Constitutional Court has announced a rejection of the
pleas of two former presidential candidates seeking to bring
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan to the court as a witness.
Political analyst Andreas Ghukasyan and the head of the Heritage party Raffi Hovannisyan have sought to annul the Feb.18 presidential election results announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC), News-Armenia reported on Monday. The said presidential hopefuls appealed to the Constitutional Court on March 4.
Seven candidates had joined the election race in Armenia. According to official data, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan won with 58.64 percent of the votes. Heritage leader Hovannisyan ranked second with 36.74 percent. Ghukasyan took less than 1 percent.
Both of the proceedings are reviewed by the court together.
Hovannisyan is represented by MP Zauri Postanjyan and the lawyer of the Heritage faction Karen Mejlumyan in the court, while Ghukasyan is defending his interests himself.
Sargsyan is represented by Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on State and Legal Affairs Davit Harutyunyan.
Defendants are the CEC Chairman Tigran Mukuchyan and the head of the legal department of the Central Election Commission Nune Hovhannisyan.
The representative of Heritage leader Hovannisyan demanded to declare the latter as an elected president.
Furthermore, Ghukasyan criticized Sargsyan's representation by the justice minister, as he is a governement official and represents the state.
The supporters of the Heritage party have been holding rallies both in the capital Yerevan and other Armenian regions since Feb. 20.
Meanwhile, Heritage leader Hovannisyan declared a hunger strike in protest at the election results, saying that Sargsyan must recognize the people's victory and resign before his inauguration on April 9.
"If Sargsyan takes an oath with his hand on the Constitution and the Bible and the Catholicos blesses him, they will do it over my dead body," Hovannisyan said at a rally of his supporters on Freedom Square in the center of Yerevan.
Hovannisyan noted that a "national consent administration" will be created, and in case the Constitutional Court makes a decision that defies the Constitution and the state, they "will say good-bye to this court and set up a new court" on Freedom Square.
"Now I announce not my hunger strike but my fraud strike, fear strike and lie strike. And I will stay on Freedom Square and I will not eat anything and will not listen to falsehood and lies from anyone until Sargsyan resigns," he stated.
Hovannisyan added that the next rally will be held on Friday.