Election postponement procedure shall be initiated by Hayrikian

Under Article 52 of the Constitution, if one of the presidential candidates faces insurmountable obstacles, the presidential election shall be postponed for two weeks. In the event that the insurmountable obstacles are not eliminated, a new election shall be appointed and the voting shall be held on the 40th day after the expiration of the two-week period.

In case of the death of one of the candidates before the day of voting, a new election shall be appointed and the voting shall be held on the 40th day following the date of appointment of the new election.

When asked whether any need, urgency, and constitutional requirement to postpone the election really exists, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs David Harutyunian told Tert.am that the Central Election Commission has no authority to postpone the election without a procedure to be initiated by the presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikian.

Let us remind you that last midnight an unknown person(s) shot at Paryur Hayrikian on Tpagrichneri Street, Kentron administrative district of Yerevan. The presidential candidate received a gunshot wound and was taken to Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center where he was visited by a number of presidential candidates, high-ranking officials such the parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, as well as by many political figures.

“Only Paruyr Hayrikian himself can apply to the Constitutional Court regarding this matter, if he believes that he faces insurmountable obstacles. In other words, this is a process to be initiated by Paruyr Hayrikian if necessary, after which the Constitutional Court will take a decision,” David Harutyunian said.