YEREVAN. – The forthcoming presidential election in Armenia will be conducted on February 18, as slated. Levon Baghdasaryan, the attorney of presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan—who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound after an assassination attempt—, submitted Monday a new petition to the Constitutional Court and withdrew Sunday’s petition. Hayrikyan himself told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.  

“We will have the election on February 18. No wretch, no terrorist shall be able to change the democratic processes in Armenia; this was my initial position,” he said, and added that a single oppositional candidate could emerge at any time.    

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Paruyr Hayrikyan on Sunday submitted to the Constitutional Court a formal request to postpone the presidential election—which is slated for February 18—for two weeks. He had noted that if the opposition’s presidential candidates are able to join forces within the next two days, he will withdraw his petition and the vote will go ahead on February 18. Otherwise, he will put off the election to carry out a full campaign.     

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am