All Headline News
Feb 19 2008

Armenians Troop To Poll Stations To Elect President
February 19, 2008 10:09 a.m. EST

Jupiter Kalambakal – AHN News Writer
Yerevan, Armenia (AHN)- More than two million registered Armenian
voters are expected to troop to 2,000 polling stations Tuesday to
elect a new president for a five year term.

Poll surveys puts Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian as the front runner
in a nine-way presidential race to replace President Robert Kocharian
who is barred by the constitution to seek for a third five-year term.

Sarkisian, endorsed by Kocharian, promises to improve Armenia’s
living standards by facilitating economic growth.

His two main opponents, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian and
former Speaker of the Parliament Artur Baghdasarian, improved the
prime minister’s chances by failing to unite before elections day.

To win the election a candidate must garner 50 percent of the votes
plus one vote. If no candidate secures the level in the first round,
a second round will take place in two weeks.

Analysts predict that Sarkisian may struggle to win the more than the
50 per cent needed to avoid a second round.

The other six candidates are: former prime minister and leader of the
opposition National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukian; National
Assembly Deputy Speaker and member of the Dashnaktsutiun Party bureau
Vaan Ovannisian; National Unity party leader Artashes Gegamian,
People’s Party leader Tigran Karapetian; National Accord party leader
Aram Arutyunian; and former advisor to the president of
Nagorno-Karabakh Armen Melikian.