Vardan Devrikyan, Deputy Director of the Literature Institute in Armenia, adds his name to the list of public figures who believes that “foreign powers” are behind yesterday’s assassination attempt of presidential candidate Paryur Hayrikian.

Devrikyan told reporters today in Yerevan that the western media has covered the incident as some type of crisis event.

Devrikyan suggested that the other candidates be provided with bodyguards.

He said that the fee for registering as a presidential candidate should be increased to a minimum of 20 million AMD ($49,000), arguing that as it stands now any Tom, Dick or Harry can get in the race.

Devrikyan mocked presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan, now on hunger strike at the National Academy of Sciences, and said that the press were wrong to cover him so extensively and make him out as a leading contender.

“I am getting 10-20 telephone calls a day asking who that candidate is. God forbid something happens to him as well. They’ll say that another leading presidential candidate has been attacked as well.”