YEREVAN. – Even what occurred with Armenia’s presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan—who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound after a recent assassination attempt—did not change the pre-electoral layout in the country to a great extent. Caucasus Institute Director, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan said this during a press conference on Friday. 

“The [presidential] election ‘was [already] held’ in December of the year past, when Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan announced that he will not take part in the [election] campaign,” the analyst noted.   

As per Iskandaryan, if no force majeure events occur, the ruling Republican Party candidate, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan will win the vote in first round.

“It will be interesting to follow how the third and fourth places will come out,” Iskandaryan added.

As per the political scientist, the assassination attempt against Hayrikyan came to prove that Armenia’s political system was able to withstand the test, there was no chaos, and the election campaign continues as normal.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am