YEREVAN. – The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia convened a session Friday, CEC Secretary Armen Smbatyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.  

He added that, prior to the session—and on behalf of CEC—, its chairman Tigran Mukuchyan deplored the assassination attempt against presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, and also noted the procedures that are prescribed by the law, whereby an obstacle standing in the way of a presidential contender could be considered insurmountable.        

“Solely the Constitutional Court can consider [this], [and] solely based on the [respective] petition by the given candidate,” Smbatyan said. And the Court decides, within four days, whether or not the given obstacle is insurmountable.

According to our information, however, Hayrikyan has not submitted such petition as of yet.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an assassination attempt was made against presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, on Thursday at around 11:20pm in downtown Yerevan, in front of his home. Hayrikyan was shot and hospitalized with a gunshot wound . He underwent a successful surgery Friday morning, and a bullet—which was located in the soft tissues of his right elbow shoulder—was removed. 

Numerous senior officials, politicians, and other presidential contenders are coming to the hospital to visit him.

A criminal case is opened in connection with the assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikyan. It is launched on charges of carrying out an assassination attempt against a statesman, political or public figure, which—that is, the attempt—is carried out to end this person’s noted activities. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for 12-20 years, or life in prison.     

The National Security Service is conducting the investigation.