The authorities are subjecting residents of central Yerevan to “ethnic cleansing” through property taxes, said Edmon Marukyan, who heads the election list of the Bright Armenia party, during a campaign event near the Tamanyan statue.

Speaking about the increase in property taxes, he said the ruling team has placed residents of the capital in danger of losing their homes, Sputnik Armenia reported.

“Nikol Pashinyan says: ‘You live in an expensive place, sell it and go live in Masiv, Parakar or Artsvashen.’ The authorities are carrying out ethnic cleansing against residents of central Yerevan through property taxes, targeting those who cannot afford to pay them. Now Yerevan residents are paying European-level taxes with Armenian salaries,” Marukyan said.

The politician explained the mechanism through which the law affects citizens financially. According to Marukyan, the tax amount is calculated using artificially inflated real estate prices that do not correspond to people’s actual incomes. He noted that the authorities introduced the burden gradually to avoid sharp public backlash.

“In the first year they raised it by 25 percent so people would not feel it, in the second year by 50 percent, and this year the law is fully taking effect, meaning property taxes are increasing by 100 percent,” he continued.

Marukyan urged voters to express their opposition to these increases through their votes on election day. He promised that if his political force enters parliament, one of its first priorities will be easing this tax burden.

“We are going to reduce it and bring it back to reasonable levels, to Armenian standards. By voting for us, you are sending a message that you want parliament to reduce property taxes,” he stressed.

The election campaign that began on May 8 will continue until June 5. June 6 will be a day of silence, and elections will take place on June 7. On May 25, it became known that the Alliance Progressive Centrist Party had submitted a withdrawal request, after which the Central Electoral Commission invalidated the registration of the party’s electoral list. Ballot paper number 13 will not appear in the upcoming elections.