Church must not be drawn into election-related speculations - AAC 

ArmInfo.  The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has called for the Church's non-involvement in speculation surrounding the electoral processes in Vagharshapat.

Priest Yesayi Artenyan, head of the Information Office of the Mother  See of Holy Etchmiadzin, noted on his Facebook page that in recent  days, the name of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II has become  the subject of much speculation in connection with the local  government elections in the extended community of Vagharshapat.

"It is clear why certain political forces are doing this. The Church  has never interfered in any electoral process, and there is no need  to artificially drag the Church into the political sphere with such  machinations to justify anti-Church actions," Artenyan wrote.

The elections in Vagharshapat were held on November 16. 45.12% of  voters, or 31,527 people out of 69,866 citizens with the right to  vote, took part in the voting. According to the results of the vote  counting at all 47 polling stations, the Victory Party received  10,051 votes; the Pan-Armenian Front Party - 295; the Republic Party  - 1,241; the National Democratic Party Mother Armenia - 1,692; the  Free Democrats Party - 1,177; the Heritage Party - 440; the Civil  Contract Party - 15,298 and the Homeland Party - 1,193. Thus, the  ruling party will receive 19 mandates in the Vagharshapat Council of  Elders, the Victory Party - 12 mandates, and the Mother Armenia Party  will receive two more mandates.