Ruling party rejects possibility of talks with opposition in Gyumri

PanARMENIAN.Net - Vahagn Alexanyan, a representative of the ruling Civil Contract faction, addressed the outcome of the recent local elections in Gyumri, stating that “the decision on whether Sarik Minasyan will be nominated for mayor rests solely with the faction.”

“The faction will decide. A meeting will be held, and a decision will be made,” he added, as reported by Aysor.am .

When asked whether the ruling party intends to negotiate with opposition forces, Alexanyan responded negatively.

“No, what would we negotiate about with the opposition? They get along just fine with each other. We’ve come to terms with the fact that after the introduction of proportional elections, Civil Contract remains the party with the most votes in Gyumri. As for the rest, we’ll see how it unfolds. The opposition parties collaborate well, and their centerpiece is Vardan Ghukasyan,” he said.

When questioned whether Ghukasyan could be arrested for political reasons if elected mayor, Alexanyan rejected the notion.

“The authorities don’t arrest anyone. Vardan Ghukasyan himself stated he entered politics because criminal cases were launched against him. So the cause-and-effect relationship is this: criminal cases were filed against a politically inactive Ghukasyan, and he entered politics to defend himself from them,” Alexanyan noted.

On March 30, snap local elections were held in Gyumri, with no party securing a majority. If the opposition unites, it could elect an opposition mayor.

In Parakar, four political forces participated in the elections: Civil Contract (led by Lyudvig Gyulnazaryan), the Unity alliance (Volodja Grigoryan), National Progress Party (David Minasyan), and Stability Party (Gor Saribekyan). The Unity alliance, including the Country to Live party, has claimed victory for its candidate, Volodja Grigoryan.