The Central Election Commission (CEC) voted on 15 January by seven in favor with two abstentions not to register U.S.-born former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian as a candidate for the 19 February presidential election, RFE/RL\'s Yerevan bureau reported. The CEC based that decision on a court ruling upholding the validity of Interior Ministry documentation certifying that Hovannisian became a citizen of the Republic of Armenia in August 2001. Presidential candidates must have been Armenian citizens for a minimum of 10 years prior to the ballot.The CEC registered 11 presidential candidates, Noyan Tapan reported. They are incumbent Robert Kocharian; Hanrapetutiun Party leader Aram Sargsian; People\'s Party of Armenia Chairman Stepan Demirchian; National Democratic Union Chairman Vazgen Manukian; National Unity Party Chairman Artashes Geghamian; Democratic Party of Armenia Chairman Aram Sarkisian; Communist Party of Armenia Chairman Vladimir Darpinian; Motherland and Honor Party Chairman Garnik Markarian; National Accord Party Chairman Aram Harutiunian; United Armenia Party Chairman Ruben Avagian; and Aram Karapetian, who heads the Perspektiva strategic research center. (RFE/RL)