Gyumri City Council's Civil Contract Faction Issues Statement

The Civil Contract faction of the Gyumri City Council has issued a statement: “Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan has not been able to come to terms with the undeniable truth that the Republic of Armenia is a country governed by law, a sovereign state, and that the ways of 'bringing people from outside into our country' that he knows have long been irrelevant here.

On the other hand, exploiting the murder of the Parakar Mayor, using the misfortune of two families for political purposes and linking the murder to the current government is at least immoral. As a political persecutor, Vardan Ghukasyan must be honest with himself and especially with the people of Gyumri and remember that the criminal cases against him were initiated back in 2019. The same can be said about the proceedings concerning his son Spartak Ghukasyan. Vardan Ghukasyan certainly knows that the most recent proceedings against his son were initiated much earlier.

It would also be appropriate to remind Ruben Mkrtchyan that the Civil Contract has never stolen a citizen’s vote in any election to hand over to others like 'My Powerful Community.' The 'Mother Armenia' faction also needs to come to their senses. Vardan Ghukasyan is not an elected mayor; he holds the position as a result of your and others' council elections. This reflects your contempt for Gyumri and its people.

This faction of the Gyumri City Council would do well to calmly await the conclusion of the investigation into the bribery allegations against their supporters. Stealing votes with bribery and intimidation, undermining the foundations of statehood, bargaining with the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, insulting and threatening citizens is not our practice. By the way, the official page of the Gyumri Municipality is not Vardan Ghukasyan’s personal Facebook page or that of the Armenian Communist Party,” the statement reads.