In what seems to be a carefully choreographed performance ahead of this Sunday’s parliamentary elections, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan ordered the removal of kiosks assembled in a park in central Yerevan. In doing so, Sargsyan ended the 80-day standoff between the municipality and environmental activists. Continue reading “Mashtots Saga Ends in A Controversial Win for Civil Activists”
Tag: Mayor
Village Mayor Accused of Raping 14 Year-Old Student
Students at a school in Hartashen village of Syunik region claim, that the village mayor has raped a 14-year old student of the the school. Continue reading “Village Mayor Accused of Raping 14 Year-Old Student”
Gyumri Mayor's Surprise Move to Save Tumanian's House
Gyumry mayor Vardan Ghukasian announced on Monday, that his family is ready to contribute all the money necessary to acquire great Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanian’s house in Tbilisi and hand it over to Armenia’s Writers’ Union to be turned into a literary, cultural center and library, Aravot.am reports. Continue reading “Gyumri Mayor's Surprise Move to Save Tumanian's House”
Gyumri mayor's son likely involved in a fresh shooting incident
Scandalously famous son of Gyumri mayor seems to be responsible for yet another shooting incident near Sarnakbiur village of the Shirak region, which resulted in a 55 year-old being wounded and taken to hospital. Continue reading “Gyumri mayor's son likely involved in a fresh shooting incident”
Republicans score a landslide win, Beglaryan "elected" mayor of Yerevan
Central Electoral Commission publicised the preliminary results of Yerevan’s municipal elections. Accordingly, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has received 47,39 percent of the vote, which gives the party more than 50 percent of the sits in the elderly council, which, according to the law, automatically makes the acting mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan, the candidate occupying the 1st slot on Party’s proportional list, an elected mayor of Yerevan.
“Prosperous Armenia” party comes a distant second with 22,71% of the vote, while the main opposition – Armenian National Congress pre-election block finishes third with 17,41%. Republican party, “Prosperous Armenia” party and Armenian National Congress are the only three political forces able to pass the minimum threshhold defined for entry into the elderly council, which is 7% for political forces and 9% for pre-election blocks.
The opposition claimed widespread violations of law and electoral process, while the police and General Prosecutor issued multiple statements refuting most of those claims.
Spokesperson for Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabian invited a press conference on Sunday, 1 hour after the polling stations closed, in which he described the elections as “criminal”.
It seems, that we’re in for a rough ride for the next couple of days, if not for weeks or months, with opposition protesting the election results and the authorities rigorously rejecting cases of fraud, even as a wealth of photo and video evidence emerges.
Authorities considering change in Yerevan municipal election tactics
“Zhamanak” claims it has information about a meeting of ruling coalition forces led by president Serzh Sargsyan to consider the possibility of changing their candidate – Gagik Belaryan in Yerevan’s upcoming municipal elections following the nomination of Levon Ter-Petrosian as the frontrunner of opposition Armenian National Congress list.
Among possible alternative candidates the newspaper names former president Robert Kocharyan, ex-premier Andranik Margaryan’s son Taron Margaryan, currently district mayor of Avan community, Harutyun Qushkyan, Minister of Healthcare and the frontrunner of “Prosperous Armenia” party list to municipal elections.
Heritage spokesperson: “Large segment of electorate finds it hard to vote for Ter-Petrosian”
“There is a large segment of the electorate that finds it hard to vote for Levon Ter-Petrosian,” Hovsep Khurshudian, the “Heritage” spokesman told journalists today, defending his party’s refusal to back former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s candidacy for the post of Yerevan mayor.
“Heritage” (Zharangutyun), which is led by former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian, decided late Monday not to form an alliance with Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress (HAK) for the May 31 municipal elections. Continue reading “Heritage spokesperson: “Large segment of electorate finds it hard to vote for Ter-Petrosian””
Former president to run for Yerevan's mayor?
Armenia’s main opposition alliance has decided to contest the forthcoming municipal elections in Yerevan and nominate its top leader, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, as its candidate for the post of city mayor, RFE/RL reports.
Speaking on behalf of the Ter-Petrossian led Armenian National Congress (HAK), Levon Zurabyan said opposition block views the upcoming elections as the “second round of presidential elections”. The oposition spokesperson said, that given Yerevan’s political and economic significance, they see this as an opportunity “to change the existing dictatoral system in Armenia”.
It is of course hard to beleive, that the former president would actually want to serve as the mayor of Yerevan, but it’s quite easy to see, how this decision overhauls the otherwise predictible ‘elections’ and seriously damages incumbant mayor Gagik Beglaryan’s chances to be elected.
Gagik Beglaryan appointed Yerevan's mayor
Gagik Beglaryan, Yerevan’s central Kentron district’s mayor, has been appointed as Yerevan’s mayor by president Serzh Sargsyan. Beglaryan is the government official, who said only 10 days ago that he and his kin are “used to fighting for themselves”, referring to an incident when his bodyguards severly beet a shoolchild for getting into an argument with Beglaryan’s son. Continue reading “Gagik Beglaryan appointed Yerevan's mayor”