Producer Ruben Mkhitaryan to lead My Strong Community party in  upcoming Gyumri mayoral elections

ArmInfo.Producer and public figure Ruben Mkhitaryan will lead the My Strong Community party in  the upcoming Gyumri mayoral elections. This was announced by the party chairman Spartak Tartikyan.

"The My Strong Community party, remaining true to its core  principles, has decided to participate in the Gyumri mayoral  elections under the leadership of Ruben Mkhitaryan. This decision is  natural, since we have known Ruben for many years," Tartikyan wrote  in this regard.

Ruben Mkhitaryan had previously announced his intention to run for  mayor of Gyumri. In his address, Mkhitaryan recalled that he is known  as a public figure who has been against the current government in  Armenia since May 8, 2018, and noted that this was the reason for his  decision to run for mayor of Gyumri.

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 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  primary, 253 votes were cast for Minasyan's candidacy. A total of 7  candidates participated in the intra-party vote.