Officially: The ruling force nominated Vahagn Khachaturyan as a  candidate for the presidency

ArmInfo.On February 1, the "Civil Contract" officially nominated Minister of High-Tech Industry Vahagn  Khachaturyan as a presidential candidate from the ruling  faction.

As the Acting President, Speaker of the RA National Assembly Alen  Simonyan told journalists, the discussion of the nomination of a  presidential candidate took place in the format of the board of the  "Civil Contract" party, then it was discussed with the faction, and  other candidates were also discussed. " The discussion was very long,  many different arguments were given. After long discussions, we made  such a decision. I think that we have chosen a good candidate, taking  into account his experience and integrity. He will perform his duties  quite well," Simonyan said.

The Acting President refuted rumors that Khachaturyan's candidacy was  "lobbied" by MP Khachatur Sukiasyan. According to him, Sukiasyan  could not propose a candidate to the board and could not attend the  meeting of the board of the party, since he is not a member of the  "Civil Contract". Khachaturyan's candidacy was proposed by several  people at once, the speaker noted, at the same time he found it  difficult to indicate by whom exactly. "My candidacy was also  discussed, but I recused myself," he added.

At the same time, according to the ruling "Civil Contract" in the  first round they would not have enough votes to elect their own  candidate for the presidency, but they would do it in the second  round.

On January 23, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian resigned. Today,  on February 1, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan  signed a protocol on the termination of the powers of President Armen  Sarkissian. Extraordinary elections of the President of the Republic  are held no earlier than twenty- five and no later than thirty-five  days after the opening of a vacancy for the office of the President  of the Republic in cases of removal from office, impossibility of  exercising powers, resignation or death of the President of the  Republic.

At least one quarter of the total number of MPs has the right to  nominate a candidate for the President of the Republic. The President  of the Republic is elected by the National Assembly. A candidate who  receives at least three-fourths of the votes of the total number of  MPs is elected. If the President of the Republic is not elected, then  a second round of elections is held, in which all candidates who  participated in the first round can take part.

In the second round, the candidate who receives at least three-fifths  of the votes of the total number of MPs is elected President of the  Republic. If the President of the Republic is not elected, then a  third round of elections is held, in which the two candidates who  received the largest number of votes in the second round may take  part.

In the third round, the candidate who receives the majority of votes  from the total number of MPs is elected President of the Republic. If  the President of the Republic is not elected, new elections of the  President of the Republic are held within ten days. The "Civil  Contract" party in power holds the majority of seats (71 mandates),   the opposition "Hayastan" and "I have Honor" - 29 and six,  respectively