Mandates of Arrested Gyumri Council Members Transferred to Next Candidates
The Gyumri Precinct Electoral Commission No. 31 accepted the resignation of the mandates of two city council members from the “Communist Party,” Gevorg Ghukasyan and Spartak Sahakyan, who are currently under arrest. The mandates have been transferred to the next candidates on the list.
The two council members, Gevorg Ghukasyan and Spartak Sahakyan, are currently under two-month arrest, which compelled them to resign their mandates. According to the protocol signed by Acting Mayor Avetis Arakelyan, the mandates were granted to the next candidates on the list: Samson Elbakyan and Tigran Avagyan.
Tigran Avagyan is also currently under arrest and will most likely resign from the mandate. Tigran Ghazaryan, Chairman of the Precinct Electoral Commission, clarified that detention does not prevent receiving a mandate, as the court has not declared him legally incapable.
Today, no representative from the “Communist Party” faction participated in the session, which indicates a lack of previous enthusiasm. Receiving a mandate in Gyumri is currently viewed as risky, especially following the arrest of Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan.
The Mayor’s arrest was followed by the mass arrests of his family and teammates. For this reason, the council members are successively resigning their mandates so that they can be transferred to the next candidates, thereby maintaining the normal work of the city council and preventing the city’s life from being paralyzed.