The Competition is Intense: The CP Candidate for the Mayor of Abovyan

Grigor Gulyan, the candidate from the "Civil Contract" party for the position of mayor in Abovyan, assesses his chances of winning the elections as high. In an interview with Tert.am, he stated that the competition is fierce, but they are determined to be victorious.

The candidate referred to an incident that occurred the day before with the head of one of his subordinates, where his car and the entrance to his house were set on fire. When asked whether they have any suspicions about who committed the crime and if he sees a political context in it, he replied that he does not know who carried out the crime. "But I am confident that the culprits will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. They not only damaged property by burning the car and the entrance of the apartment but also attempted to create irreversible consequences. Thank God, there were no irreversible consequences, as there were seven people in the house, ranging from a two-year-old child to adults... Whether it was a coincidence or not, especially a day before the elections, I won’t comment; we will wait for a response from law enforcement agencies, after which we will assess the situation," he said.

Grigor Gulyan noted that his main rival is the current mayor Vahagn Gevorgyan, who, according to him, receives support from the "Prosperous Armenia" party. In response to a question about the appropriateness of the observations that the regional governor is using administrative leverage to support him, Grigor Gulyan stated that this perception is simply incorrect, as his candidacy was nominated by the party. "Each of my party colleagues has their say; the regional governor, as a party comrade, has taken a vacation to stand by my side in support. It is essential to understand that this is the work of a party team," he stated.

Regarding the fact that days before the elections, the National Security Service initiated a criminal case regarding a bribery incident in the Abovyan city hall, which his opponents characterize as support for the candidate from the authorities, Grigor Gulyan disagreed with that perspective, as the NSS based its announcement on a study conducted by the regional government months ago. "Within the purview of the regional administration, we have carried out professional and legal oversight in the community administration, during which numerous violations, including criminal breaches, were recorded, starting from violations of urban land laws and land seizures. This is not a coincidence, but a process that has occurred parallel to the election days," he said.

When asked how he would assess the work of the acting mayor Vahagn Gevorgyan, the CP candidate said that there are opportunities to implement programs together with the state; however, Gevorgyan is not doing so. "For instance, the government is providing support to the communities in the region, but the current administration of the community did not show the will to participate in such programs, applying only for one small project. We consider this an indication that they bear the old political culture, as they do not wish to take steps to improve the quality of life, which we did not see," he stated.

Regarding Gagik Tsarukyan's statement that those who have done nothing in life criticize the efforts of others and should not engage in "political antics," while also responding to the question of whether Gagik Tsarukyan supports the current mayor Vahagn Gevorgyan, Grigor Gulyan replied, "I do not know what was said before about who has worked and who has not, but we are constructive with our political team. Of course, the support from the Prosperous Armenia party has always been there for Vahagn Gevorgyan," he said.