An elderly woman in Gyumri is accused of offering bribes in exchange for votes during recent local elections, with coded language used in communications.

The Anti-Corruption Committee has announced that new instances of vote-buying and vote-selling have been uncovered in Gyumri following a series of operational and investigative actions.

According to the report, a 71-year-old female candidate representing a party alliance in the Gyumri city council snap elections offered a bribe to a 75-year-old local resident in return for recruiting voters who would support the alliance. This resident then contacted acquaintances and relatives, encouraging them to vote for the alliance in exchange for compensation, and relayed the gathered information to the candidate.

The investigation revealed that both parties communicated using coded language, referring to voters as “classmates” and using the phrase “don’t skip class” to imply the expectation of voting.

During searches conducted as part of the investigation, handwritten lists were found containing the personal details of multiple Gyumri residents, including addresses, phone numbers, and polling stations. Additionally, several individuals confirmed during questioning that they had participated in the scheme, either agreeing to accept a bribe or to help recruit voters.

As part of the ongoing criminal case, both suspects were arrested and charged with offering and accepting bribes. Taking into account their age and gender, the investigative body petitioned the court for alternative preventive measures instead of detention.

As a result, the court imposed administrative supervision and restrictions on the suspects, including a ban on changing residence, leaving home at night, contacting specific individuals, and visiting certain places.

The pre-trial investigation continues. The Anti-Corruption Committee is pursuing further actions to clarify all circumstances of the case and identify everyone involved.

The Central Electoral Commission has released preliminary results of the March 30 snap municipal elections, showing no party gained a majority in Gyumri. Coalitions will be required to elect a mayor. If opposition forces unite, Gyumri could have an opposition mayor. In Parakar, four political forces ran: Civil Contract (Ludvig Gyulnazaryan), Unity Alliance (Volodya Grigoryan), National Progress Party (David Minasyan), and Stability Party (Gor Saribekyan). The Unity Alliance leads, with the affiliated Country to Live Party announcing Grigoryan’s victory.