Forum of Democratic Forces of Armenia on supporting the European  Alliance IN Gyumri municipal elections 

ArmInfo.  Below is a statement of  the Forum of Democratic Forces of Armenia on supporting the European Alliance and Levon Barseghyan in the March 30 municipal elections in Gyumri. 

March 27, 2025, Gyumri

We, the participants of the regular Forum of Democratic Forces of  Armenia:

- Attaching importance to the establishment and development of local  self-government in Armenia;

- Considering the upcoming elections in Gyumri, the second largest  city in Armenia, as a good opportunity for developing democracy in  Armenia, free expression of citizens' will, and ownership of the fate  of one's community,

- In the context of the adoption of the historic law of the Republic  of Armenia on the Launch of the Process of Armenia's Accession to the  European Union, emphasizing the need to bring the governance of local  governments and community development in Armenia in line with the  provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government;

- Rejecting the participation of the former criminal oligarchy  leaders and their local representatives in political processes,  including in elections of the local self-government bodies, in  particular, in the elections to the Gyumri municipal council;

- At the same time, assessing the quality of governance and  achievements of the current government in Gyumri, the Civic Contract  Party, as extremely unsatisfactory?

We express our full support to the European Aliance and its candidate  for the mayor of Gyumri, Levon Barseghyan, in the upcoming elections  of the Gyumri City Council;

We call on the citizens of Gyumri to vote for the European Union and  Levon Barseghyan, ballot number 6.

On March 27, the election debates of the candidates for the post of  mayor of Gyumri took place on the air of the public television of  Armenia. Vardan Ghukasyan, who headed the Communist Party list in the  elections, did not accept the invitation to participate in the  debates.

At the same time, during the election campaign, eight people were  detained on suspicion of giving and receiving election bribes, as  well as violating the ban on charity during the pre-election period.

The Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia initiated criminal  proceedings on these facts. In this regard, lawyer Arsen Babayan  noted on his Facebook page that two days before the elections in  Gyumri, harsh pressure began on opposition candidates. Thus, he  reported a large-scale attack on the election headquarters of the  candidate for mayor of Gyumri, National Assembly deputy from the  opposition faction "I have the honor" Martun Grigoryan.

In turn, member of the Yerevan Council of Elders from the Mother  Armenia bloc Gevorg Stepanyan reported that searches were conducted  at the bloc's office in Gyumri. As a result, the bloc's  representative Emma Grigoryan was taken from Gyumri to the  Anti-Corruption Committee in Yerevan. As lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan  reported on a social network, it became known that Grigoryan was  being interrogated at the Anti-Corruption Committee without the  participation of a lawyer, and she allegedly refused legal  assistance.

According to the head of the Mother Armenia bloc Andranik Tevanyan,  the authorities are creating obstacles ahead of the elections in  Gyumri. According to him, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is afraid of  losing control over the situation in Gyumri, which explains such  actions.

We will add that the snap elections to the Councils of Elders of  Gyumri in the Shirak region and Parakar in the Armavir region will be  held on March 30 of this year. Nine political forces are  participating in the elections - six parties and three blocs.