The hopes that Armenia will hold competitive elections dashed following the major forces’ refusal to join the race, political expert Sergey Shakaryants believes.

He noted the current leader, Serzh Sargsyan, as the most likely candidate to win the polls, adding that no surprising scenarios will occur, given the domestic political developments in the country.

“Hope the opposition won’t take up the 2008 path, as Arab Springs don’t occur spontaneously. Some of the eight presidential candidates have already resolved to cite election violations as the reason behind their inability to wage a serious struggle. That’s an old scenario,” Mr. Shakaryants said, adding that the race lost its intrigue after the three major forces refused to join it.