The PAP and Abovyan mayors: A town under political party shade

According to preliminary results, current mayor Vahagn Gevorgyan won in local elections in Abovyan, receiving 8453 votes. His main competitor, Grigor Gulyan, nominated by Civil Contract Party, was the second with 8058 votes.

Although Vahagn Gevorgyan was nominated as non-partisan in the elections, it is known that he enjoys Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s and his party’s support. Vahagn Gevorgyan has repeatedly stated about his friendly relations with Gagik Tsarukyan.

Addressing the loss of the Civil Contract candidate in the elections, Nikol Pashinyan said, “We did the revolution for that very aim, so that ruling party candidates win in some places and lose in others. And if you remember, for many years before the revolution, the primary slogan was the need to eliminate the monopoly of the Republican Party of Armenia, and all the political forces talked about it.”

The defeat of the ruling Civil Contract Party candidate has triggered active discussions on the Internet. Many describe this defeat as “disgraceful”, interpret it as “a failure of the government” and evidence of the prime minister’s “shrinking approval rating”. Some note that the “old system” has won in Abovyan.

FIP.am studied what results have been recorded in local elections in Abovyan so far.

Results of mayoral elections in Abovyan

The results of 5 elections held in Abovyan since 2005 are given in election.am website of the Central Electoral Commission.

Non-partisan Karapet Israelyan won in the 2005 elections. He was the only nominated candidate.

Since 2008, PAP candidates or candidates enjoying their support were elected heads of Abovyan community.

In 2008 local elections in Abovyan, the only nominated candidate was PAP representative Karapet Guloyan. He is the son of former MP, member of PAP parliamentary faction Murad Guloyan, who is also Gagik Tsarukyan’s son-in-law.

In 2012 elections, PAP again renominated Karapet Guloyan.

In 2015 elections, 5 candidates were nominated.  The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) supported the current mayor, non-partisan Vahagn Gevorgyan. The candidate supported by PAP had expressed his support for the then ruling Republican Party of Armenia. As a result, Vahagn Gevorgyan won in the elections on 6 June 2015.

In 2015, Vahagn Gevorgyan received 11.227 votes, i.e. 2774 votes more than in yesterday’s elections.

Thus, in the last 10 years, persons associated with Gagik Tsarukyan and the PAP have been winning elections in Abovyan.