“The shot on January 31 marked the start of the process of Armenia’s involvement in the Customs Union, which was finalized on September 3,” leader of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan told reporters today.

The former presidential candidate means the assassination attempt against him during the election campaign. Yesterday the court ruled to sentence ex-candidate Vardan Sedrakyan to 14 year sin prison for masterminding the attack against Hayrikyan.

According to Paruyr Hayrikyan, the Customs Union “threatens,” while the European Union “offers.” Therefore, a voluntary union created on the basis of violence cannot live long.

“Once I joked that Armenia may once be the only member of the Customs Union, and even Russia may leave it some day,” Hayrikyan said.

Hayrikyan survived an assassination attempt during the election campaign and now still suffers from its consequences.

Paruyr Hayrikyan, 63, underwent treatment in the medical institutions of Yerevan, but he needs treatment abroad for full recovery.

Hayrikyan wrote on his Facebook page that he’s ready to head the commission coordinating the constitutional amendments.

Leader of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovhannisyan had earlier turned down the offer to head the commission.

“It should be clear to everyone that the reforms can only benefit the democracy and human rights. I’ll do the work irrespective of my health condition,” Hayrikyan said.

Paruyr Hayrikyan said Raffi Hovhannisyan is welcome to participate in the activities of the commission.

“We’ll agree on some issues and will disagree on some others, but I assure that the commission will not ignore any proposal,” Paruyr Hayrikyan wrote.

“Every election in the Republic of Armenia comes to say “no” to the authoritarian times,” Hayrikyan said, speaking to reporters.

He voiced hope that the elections in our country will be really exceptional not in comparison with this or that European country.

“Elections will once be a real feast. Election means that the citizens are the masters and come to the polls to choose the best amongst people, who are ready to serve them,” Hayrikyan said.

Leader of the National Self-Determination Union, presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan met with reporters today to sum up the results of the election campaign. He said he will end the campaign where he started it. He left for Etchmiadzin after the press conference to pray in the Mother See.

Paruyr Hayrikyan will wrap up the campaign with a meeting at the Liberty Square tonight. In the morning Hayrikyan’s supporters released a call to RA citizens, urging them to cast their ballot for the leader of the National Self-Determination Union.

Recall that Hayrikyan submitted an application to the Constitutional Court Sunday, requesting to consider whether the obstacles he faced during the election campaign were insurmountable or not.

According to Article 52 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, should one of the presidential candidates face insurmountable obstacles, the election of the President of the Republic shall be postponed for two weeks. The Constitutional Court is eligible to rule whether the obstacles are insurmountable or not.

The Constitutional Court is expected to decide Hayrikyan’s appeal within four days. If the Court rules that the obstacles are not insurmountable, the elections will take place on February 18, as no other candidate has applied to the Constitutional Court.

“If I postpone the vote for 14 days, we can nominate a single candidate, unite our platforms and work together to present it to public in the coming ten days. In that case our combined votes will total 80%, not 70%,” Paruyr Hayrikyan said in a statement.

Khachatur Poghisyan has served a sentence for illegal drug trafficking and is currently unemployed. The suspects have confessed of the murder attempt. The motives of the crime are being investigated.

Although presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan’s health condition is satisfactory, he has experienced acute pain in his arm since last night, Karo Yeghnukyan, who is responsible for public relations at Hayrikyan’s campaign headquarters, told “Radiolur.” Even the painkillers do not help cease the pain.

Hayrikyan has not been able to use his right hand since the surgery. Doctors say the nerve had been damaged and was to recover in a week.

As for the decision not to apply to the Constitutional Court to postpone the vote for two weeks, Yeghnukyan said when making the statement, they were confident Hayrikyan would not have health problems.

Representative of Hayrikyan’s campaign headquarters said the law-enforcement bodies have worked well as regards the technical component of the investigation: they have interrogated the neighbors, have placed cameras, but they make no statements.

Yeghnukyan said they still have time to apply to the Constitutional Court, adding that he does not exclude the option.