YEREVAN. – The ruling Republican Party leader, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan has the greatest chance to win the forthcoming election in the first round. Representatives of the European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) NGO stated this, during a press conference on Saturday, presenting the results of its latest survey that was commissioned to TNS opinion. 

The poll was conducted between January 31 and Tuesday, and with 1,609 respondents living in capital city Yerevan and the regions.

In line with the results, 58 percent of the respondents said they will vote for Sargsyan in the election, which is slated for February 18. But this number is a drop from EuFoA’s previous survey, when the serving president had received 68.6 percent.

Presidential contender, opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian, on the other hand, recorded the greatest progress, with 33 percent as compared to the previous 20.8 percent.

Opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan has 4.9 percent (against the previous 4.8 percent) while opposition Freedom Party Chairman, former PM Hrant Bagratyan has 2.8 percent (against the previous 4.4 percent).

The results for the remaining four presidential hopefuls are insignificant. National Accord party Chairman Aram Harutyunyan—who dropped out of the presidential race on Friday—has 0.6 percent (against the previous 0.3 percent); non-party affiliate, epic poetry specialist Vardan Sedrakyan received 0.5 percent in both polls; “Radio Hay” Company Manager Andreas Ghukasyan has 0.5 percent (against the previous 0.3 percent); and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic former FM Arman Melikyan garnered 0.0 percent in both surveys.