I Made Sure This Farce Did Not Happen in the Administrative Building: Melkonyan on the Outdoor Swearing-In of Vardenis Mayor

I am the acting mayor, yes, I made sure that this farce did not occur in the administrative building. This is what Aram Melkonyan, the candidate for mayor from the ruling Civil Contract party, said in an interview with journalists when asked why he was circulating with police, allowing some individuals in and out of the mayor's office while not letting opposition members of the council enter to conduct the swearing-in ceremony.

"The farce of December 30 has been accepted for proceedings in court. There is no record, the first session has never been held, you will see the course of events," he detailed.

Responding to a question about whether he is accompanied by red berets out of fear, Aram Melkonyan stated that he is afraid of no one.

"Let’s not ask provocative questions; I understand the viewpoints of certain media outlets. Let’s acknowledge one thing: the Civil Contract party won in Vardenis with a clear majority of votes," he said, sidestepping the fact that the opposition had formed a coalition, resulting in their number of mandates exceeding that of the Civil Contract party.

After the interview, Aram Melkonyan entered the mayor's office without any hindrance, despite numerous police forces having formed a barrier since early morning to prevent elected opposition members of the council from entering.