75 per cent of Armenian voters going to participate in presidential election, surveys say

PanARMENIAN.Net - 75 per cent of Armenian voters are going to participate in the February 19 presidential election, said Aharon Adibekyan, director of Sociometer center.



According to him, 67 per cent will back Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Orinats Yerkir leader Artur Baghdassaryan is likely to garner 9 per cent. He is followed by Armenia's first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan with 6 per cent, ARF Dashnaktsutyun candidate Vahan Hovhannisian with 3 per cent, National Unity party leader Artashes Geghamyan with 2 per cent, National Democratic Union leader Vazgen Manukyan with 1,5 per cent.



The other candidates will receive some 0,7 per cent of votes each.



At that, 40 per cent say they will never vote for Levon Ter-Petrosyan.



The survey was conducted January 26-27 among 2240 respondents from 60 population aggregates. Results of the Yerevan survey will be published soon.



Meanwhile, member of Heritage parliamentary faction Larisa Alaverdyan stated in Yerevan today that "the society should take up efforts for the presidential elections to be held in two rounds". She said that victory of "the candidate from the ruling party in the first round will be quite doubtful and not corresponding the real moods of the electorate".



She noted that proper campaigns are held only by two presidential candidates - Vazgen Manukyan and Arman Melikyan; campaigns of other two candidates - Vahan Hovhannissian and Artur Baghdassaryan - are "partially proper", Armenian media reports.



Heritage party headed by Raffi Hovannisian has not voiced support to any candidate yet.