Some 35% of Yerevan residents vote in council of elders election
23.09.2018,
18:21
As of 5 pm today, the voter turnout in the Yerevan Council of Elders election was 34.72%, Armen Smbatyan, the secretary of the Central Election Commission said. He said out of 848,343 registered eligible voters only 294,534 went to the polls.
YEREVAN, September 23. /ARKA/. As of 5 pm today, the voter turnout in the Yerevan Council of Elders election was 34.72%, Armen Smbatyan, the secretary of the Central Election Commission said. He said out of 848,343 registered eligible voters only 294,534 went to the polls.
On August 16, the Armenian government terminated the powers of the Council of Elders. Elections to the Council of Elders are held by party lists. If a party wins more than 50% of the seats in the Council of Elders, the first number in the party’s list is considered elected mayor. The mayoral seat has been empty since former mayor Taron Margaryan resigned on July 9 over corruption allegations and protests urging him to quit.
The Civil Contract party, headed by the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, nominated a popular actor Hayk Marutyan as a mayoral candidate. The Prosperous Armenia party nominated MP Naira Zohrabyan. Candidates for the post of mayor were also nominated by the Zharangutyun (Heritage) Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun, the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party and the Light alliance of justice minister Artak Zeynalyan. Overall, the elections to the Council of Elections are being contested by 9 parties and 4 blocs.
Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, one of the candidates, Artak Zeynalyan said these election lack what he called ‘the oppressive atmosphere of bribes and the use of administrative resources and levers of the previous polls."-0-
On August 16, the Armenian government terminated the powers of the Council of Elders. Elections to the Council of Elders are held by party lists. If a party wins more than 50% of the seats in the Council of Elders, the first number in the party’s list is considered elected mayor. The mayoral seat has been empty since former mayor Taron Margaryan resigned on July 9 over corruption allegations and protests urging him to quit.
The Civil Contract party, headed by the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, nominated a popular actor Hayk Marutyan as a mayoral candidate. The Prosperous Armenia party nominated MP Naira Zohrabyan. Candidates for the post of mayor were also nominated by the Zharangutyun (Heritage) Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun, the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party and the Light alliance of justice minister Artak Zeynalyan. Overall, the elections to the Council of Elections are being contested by 9 parties and 4 blocs.
Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, one of the candidates, Artak Zeynalyan said these election lack what he called ‘the oppressive atmosphere of bribes and the use of administrative resources and levers of the previous polls."-0-
