Producer Ruben Mkhitaryan runs for Gyumri mayor 

ArmInfo. Producer and director Ruben Mkhitaryan announced his intention to run for mayor of Gyumri. He reported this in a video message on his Facebook page.

In his message, Mkhitaryan recalled that he is known as a public  figure who opposes the current government in Armenia, and his  position has remained unchanged since May 8, 2018. He noted that this  was the reason for his decision to run for mayor of Gyumri.

"The main problem of Gyumri and all of Armenia is Nikolism and the  person living in one of the government country houses," Mkhitaryan  said.

At the same time, he emphasized that he does not consider other  candidates for the post of mayor of Gyumri as his opponents, much  less opponents. Mkhitaryan stressed that his position in the current  situation is clear: the ruling force must not win the upcoming  elections. To achieve this goal, he expressed his readiness to  cooperate with all candidates who share similar views.

"The post of the mayor of Gyumri is neither an end in itself nor the  meaning of life for me. I just want my compatriots to have a real  alternative choice. I will consider the defeat of the current  government to be the best result of the elections. How this will  happen and through whom is not important to me. But I hope that the  people of Gyumri will accept our city development program,"  Mkhitaryan emphasized.

Ruben Mkhitaryan promised to present his development program to the  residents of Gyumri later, emphasizing its feasibility and the  successes already recorded in practice. In addition, he assured that  he will soon introduce new political and public figures who are well  known to the people of Gyumri and have the necessary professional  skills.

On October 28, the mayor of Gyumri 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 illegal  alienation of land plots" around the famous "Black Fortress". One of  Balasanyan's sons was 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. At the same time, Sarik  Minasyan became the acting mayor of the second largest and most  important city in Armenia - Gyumri. This became known based on the  results of an internal party vote held by the ruling Civil Contract  party in the country. As a result of the primaries, 253 votes were  cast for Minasyan's candidacy. A total of 7 candidates participated  in the intra-party vote.