WHEN WILL THE GOVERNMENT CALL AN ELECTION?

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[05:54 pm] 19 January, 2009

Elections to Yerevan Mayor are due this year. On January 15 Serzh
Sargsyan ratified the Law on Yerevan City which defines the order of
election to the city mayor.

Expert of electoral right Hrayr Tovmasyan says the election should
be held not later than December 6.

The election should be conducted earlier the deadline, at least three
months before. Generally, government fixes the day of election,"
said Mr. Tovmasyan.

The law does not fix any date. It only sets a deadline for the election
conduct. The law also foresees a new election to the municipal
council. It means the board of aldermen will be dissolved, and the
new board enjoying wider powers will elect a new mayor.

The board will be comprised of 65 aldermen. Yerevan will no longer have
district heads. There will be twelve administrative divisions, and
their heads will be appointed by the city mayor. They will represent
the mayor in the given division and will not be independent bodies.

Both the mayor and the board of aldermen will be elected for a
four years’ term. Anyone above 30 and having citizenship of no other
country but Armenia can be elected Yerevan Mayor. His party affiliation
doesn’t matter.

The election to Yerevan Mayor will be held during the first sitting
of the board of aldermen. If in the result of the election to the
municipal council any party gains more than 50% of seats, the mayor
becomes the first candidate on the party list. If he doesn’t meet
the requirements, the next candidate is elected. If no party gains
50 % of votes, the parties are free to nominate the leaders of their
party lists. The candidate gaining the qualified majority becomes
the mayor. If none of the candidates gains the qualified majority,
they enter a second round. The one gaining more votes becomes mayor.