Armenian presidential candidate calls for parliament boycott
By Sabina Idayatova
An Armenian presidential candidate has called on parliamentary
factions to boycott sessions of the legislature, 7or.am website
reported.
Aram Harutyunyan, chairman of the opposition National Conciliation party, suggested that the parliamentary factions not attend the parliamentary session for three months to form a new parliament upon the will of the nation.
"Why does the opposition take part in the work of the parliament when they cannot duscuss a certain issue in the National Assembly? For an official car and a secretary?" Harutyunyan queried at a recent news conference.
He further said he would not change his decision to withdraw his nomination for the February 18 presidential election.
According to Harutyunyan, by leaving incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan alone in the election race, they would prompt him to take certain steps.
He added that there is an unprecedented situation in Armenia,
and the authorities have "crossed all limits".
Earlier Harutyunyan deemed further rivalry for the president's post
unfounded and said he has no confidence in a fair conduct of the
February 18 election, PanArmenian.net reported.
"The upcoming elections can't be legitimate, while those ready to continue the struggle legitimize the authorities," Harutyunyan said.
A while ago, two other candidates, Arman Melikyan and Andreas Ghukasyan, also expressed their dissatisfaction with the flawed pre-election campaign as well as the registration process. The latter even started the election campaign with the promised hunger strike on January 21.
Ghukasyan said that he will stop the hunger strike only when Sargsyan withdraws from the presidential race or if the European countries state that Armenia is a non-democratic country and stop implementing their observation missions.
Furthermore, presidential candidate, leader of the Union National Self-Determination Party Paruyr Hayrikyan announced that if Ghukasyan did not stop the hunger strike, he would join him for a few days and would try to persuade him to stop it. He added that the hunger strike is useful and that he holds a hunger strike several times a year.
The president of Armenia is elected for a term of 5 years. The pre-election campaign started on Jan. 21 and will end at midnight on Feb. 16.
Eight candidates are contesting the post of Armenian president: incumbent President Sargsyan, former PM Hrant Bagratyan of the Freedom party, former FM and chairman of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Arman Melikyan, Andreas Ghukasyan, Vardan Setrakyan and Aram Harutyunyan.