Ruling Republican Party sweeps elections to local self-government in  Armenia 

ArmInfo. Ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has swept the Sunday elections to the local self-government.  

The candidates supported by the Republican Party won in all the large  communities, except some villages where ARF Dashnaktsutyun and  Prosperous Armenia representatives were elected to the Elders'  Councils.  The situation was interesting in the second and third  largest towns - Gyumri and Vanadzor.  Balasanyan Bloc led by the  incumbent mayor Samvel Balasanyan and backed by RPA won in Gyumri.  The candidates of Prosperous Armenia Party, Armenian Renaissance  Party and newly established Gala Party proved on the second, third,  and fourth places.

In Vanadzor, there was a severe fight between RPA and the newly  established Bright Armenia Party led by Edmon Marukyan. RPA won with  prevalence of several thousand of votes. Armenian Renaissance the  party list of which was led by a local authority Arkady Peleshyan  took the third place. The remaining parties received less than 2000  votes.

It is noteworthy that in Gyumri and Vanadzor the opposition votes  prevailed over the votes for RPA. If the opposition forces united,  the RPA would not gain victory there.

In the town of Sevan, the winner is Sargis Muradyan, a non-party  candidate (deputy head of Sevan National Park) supported by RPA.  In  the meantime, the incumbent mayor Rudik Ghoukasyan, who is a RPA  member, did not receive the support of his party and lost the  elections.

In Artik there is a different situation. Mkhitar Varagyan, the  candidate not supported by the RPA, though a member of RPA, won the  elections. His rival was Mushegh Petoyan, a member of Prosperous  Armenia Party supported by RPA. 

RPA candidates won the elections in the towns of  Sisian and Kapan.