YEREVAN. – The attorney and representatives of Armenia’s presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan—who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound—will hold a press conference on Tuesday, during which they will announce on whether or not they will petition to the Constitutional Court (CC) with a formal request the postpone the forthcoming presidential election, which is slated for February 18, for two weeks. Hayrikyan himself told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am, in a telephonic conversation.   

He noted that a team is currently at work, it is conducting serious studies, and it needs to answer fourteen questions. The first results of the team’s study will become clear Monday evening. 

Hayrikyan informed that the aforesaid team has to study as to whether the days he is spending at hospital and not carrying out election campaign are impacting his rating, since it grows by half a percent on the other days of the campaign. If it is found out that his days at the hospital have affected his rating and it has not grown at the same rate, they probably will petition to CC to postpone the election for two weeks. But if those days have not impacted Hayrikyan’s rating and it continued to grow, they will not apply to the court.    

Also, Hayrikyan stressed yet again that he will not petition to CC for conducting a whole new presidential election—in forty days—even in the worst health condition.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an assassination attempt was made against presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, on January 31 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 on the morning of February 1, and a bullet—which was located in the soft tissues of his right elbow shoulder—was removed. 

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.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am