CP Votes Insufficient for Majority in Tatev Community, Says Shahen Harutyunyan

The Central Electoral Commission has presented the results of the recount of the voting in the local government elections held on October 17 in the consolidated Tatev community of the Syunik region. According to this, the ruling 'Civil Contract' party received 1288 votes, the 'Shant Alliance' national party garnered 952, and the 'Living Land' party received 337 votes.

The CEC will distribute mandates by law at the end of the week, and it will clarify whether the CP will have a majority or not.

Shahen Harutyunyan, the president of the 'Shant Alliance' national party, asserted in a conversation with NEWS.am that the votes of the CP are insufficient to form a majority in the Tatev community.

“The community council consists of 15 members. In order for a political force to have a majority, it must have 8 or more mandates. The CP will receive 7 mandates; therefore, this force cannot form a majority. The 'Shant Alliance' national party will get 6, and the 'Living Land' party will receive 2 mandates,” said Shahen Harutyunyan.

If none of these forces forms a majority, it means that the 15-member council must elect a mayor. The president of the 'Shant Alliance' national party excludes the possibility of forming a coalition with the ruling 'Civil Contract'. “Our party excludes any cooperation with the capitulatory government. We are against them, and we believe they should leave,” said Harutyunyan.

Regarding cooperation with the 'Living Land' party, the party is waiting for the final results from the CEC. “The first session of the council is expected on Monday, where the mayor should be elected. Everything will be clarified by that day,” concluded Shahen Harutyunyan.

Mesrop ARAKELYAN, co-founder and member of the political council of the 'Living Land' party, said in a conversation with us that there are no discussions about cooperation with the CP or the 'Shant Alliance' national parties. “At this moment, the party does not have a final decision; if there is, we will definitely announce it. There is time before the first session of the council, which is enough to make a decision. The issue is not which force we will join in this or that community. Our participation in these elections and the elections planned in the near future is exclusively focused on working in those communities and empowering them; therefore, there will be no purposeless cooperation,” noted Mesrop Arakelyan.