Hopeful Bagratyan sets terms for uniting with Hayrikyan

February 10, 2013 - 18:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - If Paruyr Hayrikyan offers to choose a common candidate to run for President, he should first of all withdraw his own candidacy, another hopeful and Armenia’s former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan said.

Besides, he said that candidates spent huge amounts of money on their election campaigns and the common candidate “is obliged to reimburse them.”

“A common candidate should pledge that he will not congratulate incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan in case the latter wins the election,” Bagratyan said, noting that recently one of the hopefuls stated he will congratulate the winner.

Bagratyan said Hayrikyan’s offer is being discussed but the media won’t be informed unless the final result is reached.

On Sunday, Feb 10, Hayrikyan, who survived an assassination attempt on Jan 31, addressed the country’s Constitutional Court with an appeal to postpone the elections for two weeks.

On his Facebook page, he called on two other candidates - Raffi Hovannisian and Hrant Bagratyan – to unite to nominate a common candidate to continue the election campaign.

Earlier, Hayrikyan made a similar offer to hopeful Andrias Ghukasyan, who is on hunger strike protesting registration of current leader Sarsgyan as a presidential candidate.