An extraordinary City Council session that sought to elect a new Mayor on Monday, July 16 was canceled due to lack of quorum in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.

Only five members of the Council of Elders - Deputy Mayor Kamo Areyan and 4 members of Yerkir Tsirani (Land of Apricot) - were attending the session.

Areyan first announced a 30-minute break and declared afterwards that the session had failed due to lack of quorum.

Both Yelk (Way Out) and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) had announced that they are not going to participate in the session.

Opposition Yerkir Tsirani party was the only one to have submitted a candidate for the Mayor’s post.

Under the current legislation, if no candidate is proposed within two weeks after the session or a candidate is unable to collect the necessary number of votes, the government can reduce the term of office of the Council of Elders and announce new elections, which are to be held within 30 to 40 days after the reduction of the Council’s term of office.

Former Mayor Taron Margaryan submitted his resignation on Monday, July 9, without providing reasons for such a move.

In November 2011, Margaryan was elected the Mayor of the city by the decision of Yerevan City Council. Following elections of the Council of the Elders in May 2013 and May 2017, he was re-elected in the post.