YEREVAN. – Armenian presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan—who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound after a recent assassination attempt—issued an open letter to fellow contenders, namely, opposition Freedom Party Chairman, former PM Hrant Bagratyan and opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian, with a call for a single oppositional candidate.  

“In reality, if I postpone the [presidential] election [which is slated for February 18] for two weeks, we can propose a single candidate, bring all of our platforms together, and present ourselves jointly before the people for ten days. And, in this case, our joint percentage [of the votes] will become 80 percent.    

Dear Raffi and Hrant: Either we achieve a result together, or we lose separately.  

The options for selecting the organizational, psychological, single candidate likewise are designed,” Paruyr Hayrikyan specifically wrote in his open letter, which is posted in his Facebook page.            

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am