When asked if pressures brought to bear played any factor in his decision to pull out the presidential race, Aram Haroutyunyan stated that indeed pressure had been directed against him and those who attempted to assist him.

“They were actually indirect pressures. My telephone conversations were being tapped. People didn’t want to meet me because they had been subtly pressured to ddo so. Naturally, I understood what was going on,” stated the now former candidate.

Haroutyunyan promised to remain politically active despite withdrawing his candidacy.

He argued that it would have been preferable if the other candidates had rallied around him in order to wage a more effective struggle.

Kima Khachatryan