YEREVAN, February 19 (RIA Novosti) - The former Soviet republic of Armenia is holding presidential elections on Tuesday to find a successor to Robert Kocharyan, currently serving his second and final term as president.
There are nine presidential candidates. The two front-runners, according to recent public opinion polls, are Serzh Sarkisyan, the country's prime minister and head of the ruling Republican Party, and Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Armenia's first president.
A candidate must receive 50% plus one vote to become president. If no winner can be announced, a second round of voting will follow in two weeks.
Preliminary election results will be announced on February 20, with the final count to be officially made public on February 26.
Armenia held parliamentary elections on May 12 last year. The Republican Party and other pro-presidential parties won a majority in the polls.
