Armenian court to consider Airikyan's request to postpone elections within four days
YEREVAN. Feb 11 (Interfax) - The Armenian Constitutional Court accepted for consideration on Sunday a request made by Paruir Airikyan, presidential candidate and chairman of the Association National Self-Determination party, to postpone the presidential elections, which are scheduled to take place in Armenia on February 18.
"The Constitutional Court has accepted the candidate's request for consideration. A decision will be made within four days," Constitutional Court press officer Ovannes Papikyan told Interfax.
According to earlier reports, Airikyan, who has recently survived an assassination attempt, asked the Constitutional Court on Sunday to postpone the presidential elections by two weeks.
"Unfortunately, we have run into insurmountable obstacles. Nature turned out to be stronger than our desires, and I lost ten days of election campaigning during my time spent in the hospital," Airikyan told reporters in front of the Constitutional Court building in central Yerevan on Sunday.
The assassination attempt did not increase his rating as a presidential candidate, Airikyan said.
"I will be able to restore my rating within these two weeks if the court makes a positive decision," he said.
Airikyan also said he may recall his request if Grant Bagratyan and Raffi Ovannisyan, his rivals in the presidential race, accept his proposal to unite and act as a united candidate in the presidential elections.
The Constitutional Court will make a decision on Airikyan's request within four days.
The attack on Airikyan occurred in the early hours of January 31. He was wounded in the shoulder.
On February 8, the Armenian National Security Service reported the detention of two people suspected of involvement in the crime. According to the report, the detainees have confessed to the crime and have given evidence about the circumstances of the attack.
