Snap Poll Looms In Gyumri As City Council Fails To Elect New Mayor

The session was called at the initiative of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s ruling Civil Contract party, which holds a minority in the 33-member Council of the northwestern Armenian city. Though, Civil Contract said it had no plans to nominate a new mayor after the resignation of the city’s former mayor, Vardges Samsonian, and all members of his political bloc on October 28.

The resignations followed weeks of uncertainty after an arrest warrant was issued for the informal leader of Samsonian’s bloc, Samvel Balasanian, a prominent local businessman and former mayor. Balasanian’s bloc, which controlled 14 seats in the Council, had been severely weakened by criminal charges filed against Balasanian and his four associates. They are accused of illegally privatizing municipal land in 2014.

Opposition figures view the charges as a politically motivated move by the Pashinian government to gain control over Gyumri ahead of the next parliamentary elections in 2026. Pashinian laughed off such claims when he spoke in parliament last month.

Balasanian, who is reportedly in the United States, has not publicly commented on the developments.

The Civil Contract party holds 11 seats, and under Armenian law, the Council can continue functioning with as few as 19 members. A quorum requires only 17 votes, but if the Council fails to elect a new mayor within 14 days, it will be disbanded, and fresh municipal elections must be held within 40 days.

Friday’s special session failed to convene due to the lack of quorum, with only 11 members present.

Knarik Harutiunian, a Civil Contract member, explained that her faction would not nominate a candidate for mayor. “Since the Balasanian Bloc was the largest faction and they have given up their mandates, we believe this Council is no longer legitimate. It would not be right for us to elect a new mayor from this body,” Harutiunian said.

Earlier, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian, a key figure in Civil Contract, also suggested that the ruling party was preparing for snap elections in Gyumri.