“Haykakan Zhamanak”: angry Gyumri

Local self-government elections will be held in some RA regions on September 9. Among the most interesting are Gyumri mayor elections. Here passions inflamed especially after Serzh Sargsyan’s statement. Sargsyan’s announcement that he suggested Samvel Balasanyan to be nominated for Gyumri mayor wasn’t accepted so definitely. There are opinions, that by this statement Serzh Sargsyan tried to mobilize Gyumri state agency powers, that they didn’t play tricks on Samvel Balsanyan. “When he comes and announces this, it means there is something wrong, something is beyond what they’ve planned…” ARF member, Gyumri mayor candidate Hovsep Simonyan told the newspaper. The latter is the most dangerous competitor of Samvel Balasanyan in these elections. To note, two other candidates have also been nominated for Gyumri mayor: non-partisan Andranik Avetisyan and Spartak Petrosyan. Beginning from this night campaign or anti-campaign is prohibited and it’s declared a “day of silence.”