VIDEO: Citizen and Police Officer Faint Due to Clash in Parakar

A clash occurred today, January 7, between citizens and police at the Parakar municipal building due to citizens' storming the premises. The police used brute force to remove citizens from the municipal building, where a council session was about to take place.

Following this, the police formed a barrier to prevent citizens from entering the municipal office. It is important to note that in the local government elections held on December 5, the ‘Living Land’ party secured 10 mandates in the 21-seat council, with their candidate Volodya Grigoryan elected as the community leader by a vote of 10. Although this represents less than 50 percent, the ‘Living Land’ party argues that if a single candidate is nominated, he can be elected with just over 40 percent of the votes.

Subsequently, the remaining 11 council members arrived, and Davit Minasyan, the candidate of the 'Davit Minasyan' alliance, was elected community head with 11 votes. He was also supported by members of the ruling ‘Civil Contract’ party.

On December 23, supporters of the ‘Living Land’ party gathered in the yard of the Parakar cultural house, where the swearing-in ceremony for their candidate was to take place. However, police did not allow them to enter the building, and the ceremony was conducted outside. On the same day, the 'Davit Minasyan' alliance filed a lawsuit seeking to annul the election results. The administrative court has since issued a decision to annul the results of the elections for the head of the Parakar community.