Yes, this was not a place for campaigning: Avinyan on statements made at the Surmalu shopping center

Yes, this was not a place for campaigning. This was stated today, August 31, by the former Deputy Prime Minister and candidate for Mayor of Yerevan, Tigran Avinyan, during a conversation with journalists in the National Assembly, commenting on the criticisms directed at him after visiting the Surmalu shopping center, as reported by News.am.

"And there absolutely was no such intention or trend in all of this," Avinyan said, adding that the journalist had asked him three times about him being the candidate for the Yerevan mayor from the Civil Contract party, which he confirmed.

"But the headlines that were desirable for certain media outlets were obtained. In many cases, we are chasing clickable headlines, leaving the content behind, and a lot gets lost there," he remarked.

Referring to the discussion he participated in at the National Assembly regarding the project to ban fireworks, Avinyan stated that the issue concerns changing established household habits.

"The question is cultural: We need to decide whether it is acceptable for people to organize fireworks at weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries at the expense of the residents living nearby, because those people are neither participants of that wedding, nor of the birthday or anniversary. They are quietly sleeping in their homes, and suddenly, bang! Now we need to understand if we want that kind of business to exist," he said.

It should be reminded that three days after the explosion at the Surmalu shopping center on August 17, the former Deputy Prime Minister and member of the Civil Contract party's board, Tigran Avinyan, visited the site. He stated that the tragedy should prompt a reconsideration of the regulations on the storage of explosive materials and the culture of organizing fireworks.

Avinyan recalled that a year ago, in 2021, the government had proposed legislative changes that would almost restrict the use of fireworks at private events, but the adoption of the law was postponed considering the interests of the business community.

In response to a journalist's question, Avinyan also mentioned that he came to the Surmalu area as a member of the Civil Contract board and a future candidate for Mayor of Yerevan.