Who Are the Candidates for the Mayor of Gyumri

The mayoral elections in Gyumri, set for October 17, will begin accepting candidate nominations starting September 2. Political parties and alliances can submit their lists of candidates for city council members until September 12. Surprisingly, the upcoming elections for the mayor of Armenia's second-largest city have garnered little interest among Gyumri residents. So far, no political force, including the ruling party, has officially announced its intention to participate in the elections.

According to press reports, the ruling party's candidate is the current governor of Shirak, Hovhannes Harutyunyan. There have also been rumors of a barter arrangement where the current mayor, Samvel Balasanyan, would be appointed as governor and the governor would take over as mayor. However, there are discussions in Gyumri about an alternative scenario; Balasanyan's team may participate in the elections under the party “Spirit of Gyumri,” founded by his son or possibly another political force. He has reportedly stated that their goal is to secure a substantial presence in the council and to address city issues, specifically supporting the current mayor.

Interestingly, according to our sources, Nazeli Baghdasaryan from the ruling Civil Contract party has also been making attempts to nominate her brother for the position but has so far been unsuccessful. There is clarity regarding the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) candidate, as the RPA plans to participate independently, with their candidate being former MP Artak Ghukasyan, who is the nephew of former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) has not yet made a decision and is considering one of its council members, who is a businessman. Meanwhile, the pro-Kocharyan faction remains silent.