Another candidate for president of Armenia, political expert Andrias Ghukasyan, offers boycotting the presidential election of Feb 18 2013. Ghukasyan sent an open letter with relevant content to the remaining six candidates (except incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan- ed.). The political expert, particularly, offers all the other candidates to withdraw their candidatures on January 15 and establish a united civil front to mark the beginning of "new political reality in Armenia."
Ghukasyan offers Paruyr Hayrikyan, Leader of the Union for Self-Determination Party, Raffi Hovannisian, Leader of Heritage Party, and Hrant Baghratyan, Leader of Azatutyun Party, to head the new civil movement to put an end to the criminal and oligarchic power in the country.
"The people are expecting specific steps from us, and not a senseless fight for the so-call second place," the letter reads.
Earlier on Thursday, another candidate for president, Leader of National Accord Party Aram Haroutiunyan, also came out with a similar call.
Thus, the presidential candidates are eight: incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan from the Republican Party and former prime minister Hrant Bagratyan from the Liberty Party. All the remaining are self- nominated candidates: Leader of the Union for National Self-Determination Party Paruyr Hayrikyan, Leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian, Advisor for Political Issues of the Refugees and the International Law Civil Society Network, ex-foreign minister of NKR Arman Melikyan, Leader of National Accord Party Aram Haroutiunyan, political expert Andrias Ghukasyan, and specialist in epic Vardan Sedrakyan. The elections will be held on Feb 18 2013.