ArmInfo. The velvet revolution in Armenia is entering a decisive phase, and the Echmiadzinians have a chance for the first time in the history of the Third Republic to choose a woman as mayor of the city through free will. This was stated by. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on October 18 at the pre-election rally of Echmiadzin's mayor candidate Diana Gasparyan.
According to Pashinyan, in Echmiadzin, the spirit of revolution was felt most of all. It was the residents of this city who experienced the best of chaos and life under the yoke of the modern "princes". "This coming Sunday, you have to make another revolution, no less important than the one that was accomplished," he said.
In the history of the Third Republic there were no women mayors, noted the acting. heads of government. Diana Gasparyan can be the first. According to him, since 1996 there have been unsuccessful attempts to make a revolution in Armenia. The revolution that the Armenian people carried out in April of this year, as Pashinyan pointed out, was very different from previous ones - for the first time women were so widely involved in it.
As Pashinyan stressed, one should not think that the concept of "woman leader" goes against traditional family values. "I know this from my own experience," he said, stressing that his wife, Anna Akopyan, had always been active in social activities. "The victory of a woman in elections in Echmiadzin, in one of the most conservative cities of Armenia, in the spiritual center of the country, can be another, but the most important victory of the velvet revolution," he said.
Nikol Pashinyan once again emphasized that henceforth in Armenia the supreme power belongs to the people. "After the velvet revolution, much has changed. Today, the people cannot be considered as" electoral stock ", which can be bought for 5-10 thousand drams. From now on, the rule of law is indisputable in the RA," the acting president stressed. premiere.
It should be noted that in the early elections of the mayor of Echmiadzin, 14 candidates were nominated, all of them were self-nominated candidates, only one of them was nominated by the party. The official website of the CEC of Armenia notes that among the candidates are lawyers, private entrepreneurs, doctors, financiers. 2 out of 14 party candidates, one is the representative of the "Civil Contract" party, the second is "Bright Armenia".
Thus, applications for participation in the elections were submitted by the current acting. Mayor of the city Diana Gasparyan, who is a self-promoted candidate. However, she is not the only female candidate for the post of mayor. An employee of the Financial Department of the Office of the National Assembly of Armenia, a financier, non-partisan Susanna Margaryan is also an independent candidate. The next candidate for this post is Sergey Sargsyan, whose candidacy was nominated by the party "Bright Armenia". Two of the candidates - Zhorzhik Navasardyan and Karen Stepanyan - are members of the Chamber of Lawyers. Candidates are also private entrepreneurs Gagik Baghramyan and Samvel Davtyan. Candidate Vahagn Tadevosyan - Assistant Head of the Erebuni Cardiology Center, Vardan Arakelyan - Director of LLC, Vazrik Grigoryan works in another LLC as an adviser, Suren Topalyan - head of the department in Echmiadzin City Hall, opposite their names Vahe Movsisyan and Samvel Muradyan their families are not specified Suren Muradyan - chief expert at "National Center for Technical Security" SNCO of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia. Recall that after the publication of the video of the National Security Service on June 17 about the abuse of Lieutenant General, Armenian MP Manvel Grigoryan, his son - Echmiadzin Mayor Karen Grigoryan - resigned. Diana Gasparyan, a former employee of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia, was appointed acting head of the city administration. Since 2008, she has been active in opposition activities.