YEREVAN. – Neither the forces outside Armenia, nor presidential hopefuls—non-party affiliate, epic poetry specialist—Vardan Sedrakyan and—opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM—Raffi Hovannisian are linked to the assassination attempt that was staged against fellow candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan. Former contender, National Accord party Chairman Aram Harutyunyan—who dropped out of the presidential race on February 8—stated this during a press conference on Friday.      

“Sedrakyan had no reason to plan an assassination attempt. If I knew why he is running [for president], I would respond to this question,” Harutyunyan noted, reflecting on Sedrakyan’s declarations that he will be arrested after the election on February 18.   

“Had the authorities wished to cause harm, I was the most suitable candidate because I was the one criticizing [them] most harshly; something would have happened to me,” he noted.    

Aram Harutyunyan also stressed that, “there are people in Armenia that know who planned the assassination attempt,” but he added that he is not one of them and he does not want to make assumptions.  

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am