YEREVAN. Jan 14 (Interfax) - On Monday the Armenian Central Election Commission registered eight candidates for the presidential election on February 18.
The commission told Interfax it had registered President, ruling Republican Party chair Serzh Sargsyan, former premier and Freedom opposition party leader Hrant Bagratyan, ex-foreign minister and Heritage opposition party chair Raffi Hovannisian, Union for National Self-Determination leader Paruyr Hayrikyan, ex-foreign minister of the unrecognized Karabakh republic Arman Melikyan, political expert and Radio Eye head Andreas Gukasyan, epic poetry specialist Vardan Sedrakyan and National Accord leader Aram Arutyunyan.
Analysts think that the main rivals would be Sargsyan, Hovannisian and Bagratyan, although Republican Party representatives predicted the incumbent president would win the election and the other candidates "would fight for the second place."