YEREVAN. – The opposition contenders, who ran in Monday’s presidential race in Armenia, are holding talks on issuing a joint statement with respect to the results of the vote, Hraparak daily reports.  

“The initiative belongs to [presidential candidate] Andreas Ghukasyan [who on Tuesday ended his hunger strike he had declared on January 21].

‘I proposed all candidates to condemn the results of this election,’ Ghukasyan told us, adding that they are trying to meet with all the contenders and reach common ground.

Candidates [opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM] Raffi Hovannisian, [opposition Freedom Party Chairman, former PM] Hrant Bagratyan, [and opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman] Paruyr Hayrikyan gave their initial consent to the text.   

[But presidential candidate, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic former FM] Arman Melikyan rejected the proposal. ‘They are attempting to create a collective farm of candidates,’ Melikyan noted. 

[Presidential contender, non-party affiliate, epic poetry specialist] Vardan Sedrakyan said he is sitting at home, and no one made him any proposal.  

Paruyr Hayrikyan likewise was not petitioned to with any proposal. ‘Perhaps, they spoke with my assistants,’ he said,” Hraparak writes.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am