YEREVAN. – Armenia’s presidential contender, National Accord party Chairman Aram Harutyunyan plays better chess than the ruling Republican Party candidate, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, and believes that he definitely will beat Sargsyan. Harutyunyan himself stated this during a press conference on Monday.   

He is of the view that he put the serving president into checkmate by being nominated and, subsequently, informing about his withdrawal from the presidential race. 

Harutyunyan stressed yet again that a candidate was promised second place in the forthcoming vote, another one was offered the Central Bank Chairman’s position, the third candidate will lose a lot—since he has not yet made arrangements with the current authorities—, whereas the fifth candidate, who never passed the 5-percent threshold, now wants to show that he can pass it.   

As for himself, Aram Harutyunyan stated that, unlike in the 2011 parliamentary election—when he was offered an MP seat—, they have not offered him anything this time because they are convinced that he will turn it down.

The presidential hopeful expressed a view that, “the authorities know who should be offered what and what should be wanted from whom.”     

Incidentally, Harutyunyan, who had earlier informed that he will formally withdraw his presidential nomination on February 8, announced that he will not vote on election day—and his birthday—on February 18, and called upon the voters to boycott the presidential election.    

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am