YEREVAN. – Armenian presidential hopeful Andreas Ghukasyan, who is on a hunger strike ever since January 21, will continue his action until the end of the forthcoming election. And if the latter is postponed for fourteen days—due to Thursday’s assassination attempt against fellow candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, who is at hospital where he is recovering from a gunshot wound—Ghukasyan likewise will extend his hunger strike for fourteen days. Ghukasyan himself told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.         

He recalled that he did not partake in the presidential election campaign from the very beginning and, instead, he managed to get his message across by way of his hunger strike. To note, if Ghukasyan does extend the duration of his hunger strike, it will last at least 42 days.  

To the query as to whether his health condition would permit this, he responded: “Yes, my willpower will allow this. It is my duty. I have a program, an objective, and I am moving with this program.” 

In response to the question as to what he has accomplished so far with his hunger strike, Ghukasyan said: “I sense that the authorities are in a [state of] crisis. The hunger strike has  a meaning, it has a political impact, and I sense that impact here. I am fulfilling all the key objectives that I have set.”    

And with respect to the assassination attempt that was staged against Paruyr Hayrikyan, Andreas Ghukasyan specifically said: “What occurred with Paruyr Hayrikyan comes to prove yet again that elections [in Armenia] are fake, and it is yet another argument that the demand which I raise is correct.”   

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Andreas Ghukasyan is on a hunger strike ever since January 21, and he demands that the ruling Republican Party presidential candidate, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan withdraw from the presidential race. On Monday, former political prisoner Shant Harutyunyan joined Ghukasyan’s hunger strike. And on January 25, Paruyr Hayrikyan had joined Ghukasyan for a three-day hunger strike.