YEREVAN. – The press service of Armenian presidential candidate Andreas Ghukasyan, who is currently on a hunger strike, released a statement to explain the motives behind, and the nature of, his actions.

“He [that is, Ghukasyan] does not recognize the legitimacy of the [presidential] election [to be held on February 18] and finds that an end must be put to the farce which the [ruling] regime has wrapped around the neck of the body politic. He clearly demands that [ruling] Republican Party candidate [incumbent President] Serzh Sargsyan must not run in the election, and this could be the sole condition so that the voting is held lawfully.

The party in power abuses its position and it is not a conscientious competitor toward the [candidate] participants in the election.

Presidential contender Andreas Ghukasyan petitioned to the [Central Electoral Commission] CEC, so that RPA be stricken of the opportunity to run in the voting, but he was bureaucratically rejected. And this very rejection became the basis for Ghukasyan declaring a hunger strike as a sign of protest.            

Also, he has required from the international [election] observers to leave Armenia because their involvement in the election cannot be constructive, when Armenia’s authorities do not carry out their international commitments to ensure competitive elections. Andreas Ghukasyan is even prepared to end his hunger strike if the international observers leave Armenia.  

Also, Andreas Ghukasyan has called upon all nominated [presidential] candidates to refuse to participate in the bogus election, and he proposed them to join the civil [rights] movement.  

In actual fact, Andreas is proposing the citizens of Armenia to decide on their own to whether or not having an institution of free elections in Armenia.   

The addressee of the hunger strike is the body politic, and the body politic must express its attitude toward the current situation,” the aforesaid statement reads in particular.   

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am