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18 February 2013 - 11:20 AMT

BBC predicts Sargsyan’s presidential win with 60% vote

Armenians are voting in a presidential election, with the incumbent Serzh Sargsyan expected to win a second five-year term in office. The vote has been condemned as not presenting voters with any real choice, with observers saying Sargsyan's only credible opponents have withdrawn, BBC News said.

Polls suggest he will win more than 60% of the vote. Heritage Party leader, Raffi Hovannisian, is his main rival.

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".

Although the economy grew about 7% in 2012, unemployment stands at 16% and more than 30% of the population live below the poverty line, according to BBC News.