Municipal elections kick off in Yerevan city

YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. The 438 polling stations in Yerevan opened at
8:00 am to receive voters to elect a mayor and municipal council
members. The polling stations close at 8:00 pm sharp.

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.

In the past, the mayor was appointed by a presidential decree. On March
4, RA President Serzh Sargsyan appointed Gagik Beglaryan Acting Mayor
of Yerevan who is the top mayoral candidate of the ruling Republican
Party of Armenia. `0′