KP Council Members Have a Few Days to Decide Whether to Resign or Stay in Office

According to the 'Jraghuyd' newspaper, while the Civil Contract party has started an active struggle against the opposition council members who have exceeded the permissible number of absentees, there is no shortage of violators within its own team.

The issue is that several members of the Yerevan City Council from the Civil Contract faction hold positions that are incompatible with the title of council member:

1. Council member Vladimir Kirakosyan is also the head of the Forestry Committee;
2. Natalya Sinoryan was an assistant to the leader of the Civil Contract faction in the National Assembly, Hayk Konjoryan, and is now a specialist in the KP faction;
3. The former head of the Malatia-Sebastia administrative district and council member Arman Barkhudaryan is an advisor to the deputy chairman of the National Assembly, Ruben Rubinyan;
4. Zina Chalikyan is a referent to the chairman of the National Assembly, or Levon Levonyan, who is also an assistant to the head of the National Assembly staff.

The law on 'Local Self-Government' in Armenia clearly defines the restrictions on council members holding other positions. The law states:

“A community council member cannot: 1) work in the administration of the community leader or the marzpetaran, be the head of community or marz-based companies and organizations, 2) be the leader of another community or a council member, 3) work in law enforcement agencies, serve in the armed forces.”

'Jraghuyd' has learned that the Anti-Corruption Commission of Armenia has been approached by the Yerevan Municipality asking for clarification on what restrictions the law imposes on council members and whether they can continue to remain in the council. According to our sources, the commission has given the ruling council members until February 15 to either resign from their council mandate or from their public positions.

It is a fact that the KP council members are simultaneously holding incompatible positions. The Anti-Corruption Commission, noting this violation, has given the municipality until February 15 to address the issue.