Armenia`s premier names participants in Gyumri elections 

ArmInfo. Seven candidates will  take part in the primary elections for the post of mayor of Gyumri.  The decision, as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on social  media, was made by the board of the ruling Civil Contract party.

Thus, the following will take part in the primary elections for the  post of mayor of Gyumri:

Karen Sarukhanyan, Levon Ananyan, David Arushanyan, Shavarsh Aramyan,  Emma Barseghyan, Sarik Minasyan, Vahagn Mkrtchyan.

"They can conduct an election campaign from today, and the  preliminary voting will take place on December 8, 9, 10. I will  appoint the candidate who receives the most votes in the preliminary  voting as acting mayor of Gyumri. I will additionally inform about  the voting procedure," he wrote.

On October 28, Gyumri Mayor Vardges Samsonyan resigned.

This happened after a criminal case was opened against the founder of  the bloc, former mayor Samvel Balasanyan, who is accused of illegally  alienating land plots around the famous "Black Fortress". One of  Balasanyan's sons was recently detained. At the same time, members of  the Council of Elders of the "Balasanyan" bloc also resigned. On  November 8, the meeting of the Council of Elders of Gyumri to elect a  new mayor of the city failed due to the lack of a quorum. In this  regard, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan  announced the holding of new elections in Gyumri, which, according to  preliminary data, will be held in the spring of 2024.

On November 27, the Prime Minister announced his intention to hold  intra-party voting (primaries) on December 8, 9 and 10 to elect the  acting mayor of Gyumri. A possible candidate, he indicated, should be  from the circle of members, associates, and like-minded people of the  State Duma.