EARLY RETURNS PROVIDE FOR SECOND ROUND OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net - A sitting of the central electoral commission of Armenia will be held this evening, at which preliminary results of the presidential elections held February 19 will be drawn. Meanwhile, according to the early returns by 6:00 p.m. made public by chairman of the central electoral commission Artak Sahradian, current head of the state, presidential candidate Robert Kocharian has collected 49.8% of grassroots votes, leader of the People party of Armenia Stepan Demirchian has 27.7%, head of "National Unification" party Artashes Geghamian - 17%. The Republic of Armenia Electoral Code currently in force provides for holding the second round of the elections, in which two candidates with the larger number of votes will participate. Thus, acting Armenian president Robert Kocharian and leader of the People party Stepan Demirchian will continue the race. Let us note that the second round of the elections should be held in 14 days after the first round.