Will Yerevan have new mayor or will “battles” for position continue

The first session of the newly-elected Yerevan Council of
Elders will be held on Oct. 10. The Mother Armenia Alliance led by Andranik
Tevanyan and the National Progress Party of Armenia headed by Hayk Marutyan
have announced that they are going to boycott the session; the mayoral election
will be on the agenda. 

The Opposition did not rush to seize the advantage of the
power transition, at least in the capital.  Instead, dissent among the
Opposition forces arose and a “fight” for this or that position broke out.

Hayk Marutyan had announced that he would not form a
coalition with anyone before the elections: Perhaps he was sure of himself and
had not worked out a Plan B. The leader of the Public Voice party had announced
that he was ready to create a coalition with the National Progress Party of
Armenia and the Mother Armenia Alliance not to allow Avinyan to hold the post.
However, Ghukasyan laid down his conditions: the Opposition forces should sign
a document under which the mayor could be anyone, but his party would be in
charge of the city administration. Later, Ghukasyan demanded positions in the
municipality and community administrations for his party members. After all,
Marutyan rejected Ghukasyan. 

“Attend the session, unanimously vote for me and then become
the Opposition again,” Hayk Marutyan was offering, stating that he would not
sign a document on forming a coalition with any force. 

Marutyan made another proposal as well: to boycott the
Council of Elders’ first session and to hold new elections. 

Andranik Tevanyan accepted this proposal. Thus, two forces
will boycott the Council of Elders’ first session, while the rest will attend.

Later, Vardan Ghukasyan announced that holding another
election now is not the right thing to do. “I would rather Avinyan was
re-elected; that is better than the Rob-Serzh clan,” he said.

A member of the Hanrapetutyun (“Republic”) party, Ani
Khachatryan, agreed with Ghukasyan. She mentioned that she did not imagine
going to snap elections either.

The Hanrapetutyun (“Republic”) party announced that they
will attend the first session, and they still have no decision to form a
coalition.

There is extensive media coverage on the fact that the
Hanrapetutyun (“Republic”) party and the Public Voice party have decided to
collaborate with Avinyan. Whether Yerevan will have a new mayor or not will
become clear tomorrow.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Seda Makaryan