Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian has pulled out of the race for Election District 7 in the May parliamentary election.

The district became a hot bed of political debate because of the other declared candidates – Nikol Pashinyan (Armenian National Congress) and MP Samvel Aleksanyan.

When Hovannisian found out that Pashinyan had declared his candidacy for the same Yerevan district, he suggested that opposition parties nominate a joint candidate in all 40 single mandate constituencies.

Hovannisian met and discussed the proposal with the Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the ARF.

The ANC turned down the proposal.

Hovannisian will still head the joint proportional slate Heritage has agreed to with the Free Democrats.