The municipal assembly controlled by the party appointed Avinian as one of the city’s five deputy mayors.
Avinian, 33, actively participated in the 2018 mass protests that brought Pashinian to power. He was named Armenia’s deputy prime minister shortly after the “velvet revolution.”
Avinian resigned in August 2021, saying that he objected to the ruling party’s list of candidates for snap parliamentary elections held in June. Nevertheless, he remained a member of Pashinian’s political team.
Early this year, Civil Contract announced that Avinian will be its mayoral candidate in the next municipal elections due in 2023. The announcement came shortly after former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutian was ousted by the city council after falling out with Pashinian.
The council voted to elect Avinian as vice-mayor on Friday. Analysts believe that the move is aimed at boosting his and Civil Contract’s chances in the next municipal polls.
In his new capacity, Avinian will, among other things, oversee the administrations of Yerevan’s districts and liaise with the central government.
Speaking to journalists, he insisted that he will concentrate on “the vice-mayor’s duties,” rather than the mayoral race.
“I will be working to achieve results,” he said. “I don’t want to think about other things at this stage.”
None of Armenia’s major opposition groups have fielded mayoral candidates so far. Marutian, who was a TV comedian before becoming Yerevan mayor in October 2018, has also not said whether he will participate in the polls.
Earlier this month, the popular ex-mayor stoked speculation about his plans to regain his post when he scheduled a satirical monodrama which he was due to play in the country’s leading theater. Tickets for the first performances of the play titled “The Mayor” were sold out within hours.
A few days later, the Armenian police reportedly recommended that Marutian be prosecuted for illegally allocating land to a Yerevan restaurant in 2019. Critics said the authorities are thus trying to prevent Marutian from joining the mayoral race.