PUNCH UP AFTER OPERA COSTS ARMENIAN MAYOR HIS JOB

Washington Post
Dec 9 2010
YEREVAN, Armenia

Operas are no stranger to melodrama, but it usually doesn’t involve
an elected official.

Gagik Beglarian, the mayor of the Armenia’s capital, resigned Wednesday
after punching a presidential aide in the face in a quarrel over
seating at a Placido Domingo concert.

To make matters worse, the victim was a member of the presidential
protocol department.

Armenian media say Beglarian launched the attack after learning that
the official had asked the mayor’s wife to surrender her concert seat
next to Armenian President Serge Sarkisian.

Presidential spokesman Armen Arzumanian called Beglarian’s conduct
unacceptable.

It wasn’t clear if Beglarian’s wife sought the seat to be close to
the president or the performance by the Spanish tenor.

From: A. Papazian