Elections were held at the Municipality of Gyumri in the "Northern Capital" in Armenia on the last Sunday of March.
Formally, it is a local event. However, the importance of this election campaign is beyond the borders of the municipality. Here are some factors. Russian political scientist Sergei Markedonov wrote about it on social networks.
"First of all, Armenia lives in the situation of approaching the parliamentary elections. According to "Schedule", they are scheduled for 2026. However, what and when did the republic take place in strictly relevant? Let's remember the elections of the National Assembly of 2018 and 2021.
These (two consecutive) campaigns were first of the velvety revolution, then in the second Karabakh war, were the result of a large domestic political crisis. In short, early voting for Armenia and its citizens is not a novelty. Moreover, sociological surveys today have a decline in the popularity of the ruling party and personally Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It is true that they save them even lower public support for the opposition.
Second, the ruling "Civil Agreement" party in Gyumri has already lost to the opposition. In the fall of 2021, the Balasanian opposition bloc exceeded the government. Of course, very water flowed after that. Balasanyan has left his position, criminal cases against a number of members of his family, and the authorities have tried to organize a number of punitive measures against the urban government.
However, in the 2024 elections, the intrigue remained until the last day. Nine political associations (6 parties and 3 blocs) have been combined for the mandates of Gyumri Council (City Parliament) (they choose the mayor). According to the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic, the ruling party, led by acting mayor Sarik Minasyan, received 36.80% of the votes. But there are nuances. The list of the Communist Party of Armenia, which is headed by Vardan Ghukasyan, took the second place (20.71%), and the "Our City" bloc received 15.85% of the votes.
In general, the Council of Elders entered the Council of Elders (except for the above-mentioned, the "My Strong Community" and "Mother Armenia" will include the "business and TV production" and "Mother Armenia").
And now a lot depends on whether those who do not belong to Pashinyan's party will be able to unite and agree on the nomination of a united figure for the mayor of the Northern Capital of Armenia. Ruben Mkhitaryan expressed readiness to support Vardan Ghukasyan. But commenting on the results of the voting as a unequivocal failure of Pashinyan and his team is not so unambiguous. Let's remember the Yerevan Council of Elders elections and the struggle for the mayor's seat in the country's capital. There were intriguing, there were options. But as a result, the "party party" candidate won. In any case, we see how the country is gradually entering the Chief National Campaign, "Markedonov said.
