Video: Tense Situation as Police Cut Open Door of Kasakh Municipality for New Head

Police cut through the locked bars at the entrance of the Kasakh Municipality and opened the door, allowing the newly appointed acting head from the ruling party, Artak Tovmasyan, to enter the municipality. At that moment, employees gathered in the courtyard of the municipality, along with several residents, chanted "shame" to express their dissatisfaction with the actions of the new appointee and the police.

The employees of the Kasakh Municipality, who are protesting against the decision made by the governor of Kotayk province to appoint a member of the ruling party as the acting head just days before the local elections, have declared a strike. They assert that the governor has violated legislative regulations by illegally appointing an acting mayor. According to the municipality employees, the mayor went on vacation about two weeks ago and designated the secretary of the staff, Narek Mkrtchyan, as the acting head. They claim that during his absence, the Labor Code prohibits the dismissal of an employee and the appointment of another temporary head.

The newly appointed acting head regards the employees' strike as an "artificial show," insisting that there has been no violation of the law and that his appointment is based on legal grounds.