Vardan Ghukasyan appears to secure coalition vote in Gyumri mayoral race

Head of the Our City alliance Martun Grigoryan announced that his bloc will support mayoral candidate Vardan Ghukasyan in the mayoral election in Gyumri.

“Our City alliance announces that it will give the required votes to Vardan Ghukasyan, who is supported by the two other forces, without any position, expectation or deals,” Grigoryan said in a statement.

He said supporting Ghukasyan was a difficult decision to make.

He said Ghukasyan is a controversial figure and that the two other teams hurried in supporting him, thus making it impossible to discuss any other alternative.

5 political forces garnered sufficient votes to overcome the electoral threshold in the Gyumri city council election, which will later elect a mayor: Civil Contract, the Communist Party, Our City alliance, My Strong Community party and Mother Armenia alliance.

Since no one garnered over 50% of votes, the political forces will have to form coalitions to be able to elect a mayor. My Strong Community and Mother Armenia earlier endorsed Ghukasyan for mayor.

Ghukasyan, a former Gyumri mayor, represents the Communist Party.