The candidate who withdraws his candidacy will not get back the election deposit
Tigran Mukuchyan, the chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), explained during a conversation with www.aravot.am that the provision in the Election Code regarding the return of the election deposit had been amended. The candidate could get the
election deposit after the launch of the election campaign, within a period of time provided for by the law, in the past, whereas today it is possible only before the registration. If the candidate makes a request to withdraw his candidacy before the application for registration is considered, he gets back his 8 million drams, otherwise, the election deposit is not returned.
Arman Melikyan and Aram Harutyunyan, candidates for president, talked about withdrawing their candidacies yesterday. Arman Melikyan hasn’t made a final decision, whereas Aram Harutyunyan has clearly decided, and he will withdraw his candidacy on February 8. Given the current legislation, such a decision is illogical, to say the least. Why would he waste 8 million drams, particularly given the fact that Aram Harutyunyan says that he borrowed that money from his friends? In this regard, Aram Harutyunyan stated during a conversation with www.aravot.am that 46 percent of voters didn’t participate in the election; therefore, such an election could not be legitimate. “You are right. I could have refused to announce my candidacy and talked about that. However, I have talked about that for five years, but… excuse me, but it hasn’t been covered at all. It was very important to say it during the election campaign, rather than at one press conference. Particularly given the fact that the opposition forces keep silent, and no one utters an articulate sentence about why he doesn’t participate in the election. I assert the fact.” Thus, as the candidate has already stated, he is convinced that those who continued the election campaign legitimize the election. “Raffi says I will congratulate, if it is a fair election. How can you talk about a fair election, if there was pressure even during the nominations? There was a whole process…. My mission is a very important one; I present the situation, the government’s plans, which they want to carry out. If they have Raffi get, say, 25 percent tomorrow, he will say, ‘Guys, you know what, I don’t know how many votes you won, but those votes are all mine now.’ They appoint new opposition.”
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Nelly GRIGORYAN
