Tensions Rise in Kasakh as Residents Protest Appointment of Acting Mayor from ruling party

In the Kasakh community of Kotayk province, where residents are protesting the appointment of a new acting mayor, the presence of police officers has increased in the evening. Residents have been holding a protest near the municipality since morning. Previously, Deputy Mayor Narek Mkrtchyan told NEWS.am that the mayor has gone on vacation and appointed an acting official in his place, noting that while on vacation, the Labor Code does not allow a person to be dismissed or replaced with another acting official. It is noteworthy that the community leader was arrested a few weeks ago.

Let it be noted that the new acting official appointed by the governor is from the ruling party—Artak Tovmasyan, who is also included in the electoral list of the ruling party for local elections in the enlarged Nairi community (which includes Kasakh). One of the participants in the protest stated that the municipality's door is currently locked, and the guards have closed the door as a sign of protest to prevent the new acting mayor from entering.

“The police now want to break the door. The governor's decision to appoint an acting mayor is illegal; it violates both the Labor Code and the Electoral Code,” said one of the protesters. It should be noted that a large number of red-berets have gathered here, and at one point, the situation became tense, but soon calmed down.