Road Blocked as Protesters Demand Governor's Resignation

The Vardenis-Yerevan highway has been blocked since morning. A group of Vardenis residents is conducting a protest demanding the resignation of Governor Gnel Sanosyan, as reported by SHANTNEWS.am.

In an interview with the media, one of the protesters, Leonard Martoyan, stated that the reason for the protest is the governor's discriminatory behavior.

“There are mayoral elections in Vardenis on February 17, and the campaign is currently underway. Today, there are 8 candidates vying for the position of community leader, with 7 of them visiting state institutions and healthcare facilities, not interfering with work, and engaging in campaign outreach to communicate with the people. We went today with our candidate to campaign, but the governor ordered that our campaign be prohibited at the Vardenis medical hospital. The 7 candidates went and met with the people, but the 8th candidate, Gevorg Simonian, was prohibited by the governor’s orders. We also want to know the reason behind this,” he said.

Martoyan also mentioned that their candidate for mayor has not had any personal issues with the governor, making it unclear why the governor urged the medical director to prevent their meeting, and the staff are complying with him. Introducing their candidate, the protester emphasized that he is not a party member, but a respected candidate among the people of Vardenis.