With ballots¹ from all precincts now counted, Mr Sarkisian received nearly 59% of the vote.

 

His closest rival, Raffi Hovannisian, took nearly 37%.

 

Observers have criticised the election for failing to present voters with any real choice, after several of Mr Sarkisian's most well-known opponents withdrew from the contest.

 

One of the candidates was shot last month in a suspected assassination² attempt.

 

Paruyr Hayrikyan of the National Self-Determination Union was wounded in the shoulder outside his home near Yerevan. He was readmitted to hospital earlier this week after saying he did not feel well. 

 

A fourth candidate, Andrias Ghukasyan, has meanwhile been on hunger strike since the start of the campaign in an effort to persuade the authorities to annul³ Mr Sarkisian's candidacy（候选资格） and press international observers to boycott⁴ the election.

 

And a fifth, Arman Melikyan, had said he would not vote on Monday because he believed the poll would be rigged in favour of the president.

 

Last month, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed great concern that "major political parties, which were strongly expected to present presidential candidates, chose not to do so because of their lack of trust in the conduct of the election".

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