Armenian president goes to polls, elects Yerevan mayor, city council

YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan went this
morning to 9/10 polling station in Spandaryan School to elect a Yerevan
mayor and city council members.

The president was accompanied by his spouse and daughter. Denying the
journalists’ request to comment on the elections, Sargsyan said: `Today
is a day of silence.’

Before the president’s arrival, 188 residents (out of 1,936) had cast a
ballot in the same polling station.

These are the first time Yerevan residents go to polls to elect the
city council. According to the new Law on the Yerevan Local Government,
the city council is to be composed of 65 members.
The first candidate in the party that polls more than 50 percent of the
vote automatically becomes mayor.

The polls are based on the proportional system, with six political
parties (the Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party,
Orinats Yerkir, Armenian Revolutionary Federaion Dashnaktsutiun,
People’s Party, Socialist Labor Party and the Armenian National
Congress) are running the municipal elections.

According to specified voters lists, 771,500 residents are eligible
voters.

This time, 29 local organizations with 6,000 observers and the
15-member CE Council of Local and Regional Authorities are observing
the polls. `0–