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Assassination attempt made on Armenian presidential candidate

The 64-year-old politician was hospitalized with wounds after being shot on Tpagrichneri Street, where he lives, late on Thursday

YEREVAN, February 1 (Itar-Tass) – An assassination attempt was made on Paruir Airikyan, one of Armenia’s eight presidential candidates, in the centre of Yerevan late on Thursday, the local TV channels reported on Friday.

The 64-year-old politician was hospitalized with wounds after being shot on Tpagrichneri Street, where he lives, late on Thursday.

Police are working on the site.

The assassination attempt overshadowed Armenia’s calm presidential campaign.

According to the public opinion survey ordered by Armenia’s leading television company ArmNews and conducted by the Armenian Sociologic Association and Lithuania’s Baltijos Tyrimai, Airikyan would get a four percent support of voters at the upcoming elections on February 18.

Over 1,000 voters all over Armenia were interviewed by the pollsters on January 15-23.

The survey demonstrated that Paruir Airikyan will share third place with Grant Bagratyan, who was Armenia’s prime minister in 1993-1996.

Incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan appears to be a front-runner in the presidential race.

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