December 9, 2010 - 20:09 AMT
Dates of Yerevan mayor’s elections to be defined December 13

An extraordinary sitting of Yerevan Elders’ Council will be held on December 13. According to the Law on Self-government Bodies of Yerevan and a decision of Acting Mayor, First Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan, the dates of Yerevan mayor’s elections will be set during the sitting, the press service of Yerevan Mayor’s Office reported.

Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan resigned his position on December 8. The decision was prompted by the incident between the Mayor and employee of the presidential staff’s protocol department Aram Kandayan.

The incident occurred on December 3, at Yerevan-hosted concert of Spanish tenor Placido Domingo. Beglaryan’s spouse and her friend took seats next to that of Armenian President’s, which, according to the protocol, are meant for the Catholicos of All Armenians, parliamentary speaker and Armenia’s Prime Minister. Aram Kandayan asked Beglaryan’s wife to change her seat.

However, Mrs. Beglaryan, outraged by the request, complained about it to her husband, who, in turn, asked the head of the presidential staff Karen Karapetyan to set up a meeting with Kandayan. Beglaryan drove Kandayan to the territory of Metaks factory, which belongs to the ex-mayor, and severely beat him. On December 9, Spokesman for the Armenian President Armen Arzumanyan told journalists that the incident, indeed, took place. However, according to him, there was neither abduction, nor severe beating.