DAVTASHEN MAYOR: "IF I WERE AN APPOINTED MAYOR, I WOULDN’T RECEIVE THE PEOPLE"

Panorama.am
19:03 07/11/2007

"Again you entered the field of philosophy," answered Malatia-Sebastia
community leader Aghvan Grigoryan to a question by journalists about
what he thought about a new city law saying district mayors would now
be appointed instead of elected. "In the event of a district mayor
being elected, there is more contact with the people, but in the event
of the mayor being appointed, the government will be better run,"
he said, not being definite as to which version he prefers.

Concerning the same question, Davtashen mayor Surik Ghukasyan was
more precise. "The people will suffer from this new rule, as since
now district mayors receive people daily, solving their problems,
80-90% of which are of a social nature, in the event of the mayor
being appointed, he will receive absolutely nobody," he said.

Talking in this manner, Ghukasyan leaves the impression he is trying
to hold on to his position. "I have been against this law since
1999. Putting the question of whether government would run better
or not aside, things will get better only for the district mayor,
as he will stay far away from the people," Ghukasyan said, adding,
"The appointed mayor will answer to only one person, yet now we
answer to everybody. If I were appointed, I wouldn’t receive people,
as they won’t have elected me."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress