Head of Administration of the President of Armenia, Vigen Sargsyan considers attack on presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikian, committed during pre-election period, to be a crime with political overtones, Novosti-Armenia reported.
Sargsyan visited the injured at the hospital and told reporters that Hayrikyan wasn't dispirited and held his own.
Hayrikyan was shot in the shoulder on Tpagrichneri street ("Pechatniki") in the center of Yerevan, where the house of his parents is located. Doctors assess the victim's condition as moderate. Apparently, the bullet was removed in the morning.
This is the fourth nomination of Hayrikyan as a candidate for president of Armenia. Previously, he participated in elections of 1991, 1998, 2003.
The sixth Armenian presidential election will be held Feb. 18 from 08:00 to 20:00 local time. The head of state is elected for five years.
Those running for the presidency are the incumbent president and ruling Republican Party leader Serzh Sargsyan, former Prime Minister Grant Bagratyan, chairman of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Arman Melikyan, Andrias Ghukasyan, Vardan Setrakyan and the leader of the National Accord Party Aram Harutyunyan.