Ex-candidate urges to prevent presidential inauguration

PanARMENIAN.Net - A former candidate in Armenia’s presidential elections, literature expert Vardan Sadrakyan refuses to acknowledge Serzh Sargsyan's victory at the February 18 polls.

As Sedrakyan told a news conference, discussing other candidates’ votes is pointless since the poll results were rigged. Sedrakyan further called to prevent the swearing in ceremony so that new, fair elections could be organized. “I’ll be the first to congratulate Sargsyan if he wins in fair elections,” Sedrakyan said.

The ex-candidate said he’ll attend the March 1 rally at Myasnikyan Square in commemoration of the victims of the 2008 incident and urged against politicizing the event.

From February 20, 2008, the Armenian opposition led by first president Levon Ter-Petrossian, who ran for presidency in 2008, but was not elected, held rallies in the central part of Yerevan, protesting against the election results. The protest actions resulted in unrest and clashes between the police and rally participants on March 1-2. According to the Office of RA Prosecutor General, around 200 people were injured, 10 people were killed, and over 100 people were arrested.