GOVERNMENT DETAILS PLANS FOR ‘ELECTED’ YEREVAN MAYOR
By Anna Saghabalian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 18 2007
The next mayors of Yerevan will be chosen by an elected municipal
assembly, rather than through universal suffrage, the government
confirmed on Thursday.
Unlike the other Armenian cities and towns, Yerevan has until now
been governed by mayors appointed by the president of the republic,
despite being home to at least one third of Armenia’s population. One
of the amendments to the country’s constitution enacted in November
2005 gave it the status of a local community that should have an
elected chief executive.
The amendment left it to the central government and parliament to
decide whether the Yerevan mayor shall be directly elected by city
residents or otherwise. The government has been working on a relevant
draft law which is expected to be debated by the National Assembly
later this year. Ministers finalized the bill and publicized its main
principles on Thursday.
Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian said there are still "several
contentious" issues that will be sorted out within the next six days
before the bill is sent to the parliament. But he said it is already
clear that the government will propose to set up a 55-member city
council that will elect the mayor.
Armenia’s leading opposition groups have long stood for a direct
election of the Yerevan mayor.
According to Danielian, the Yerevan assembly would be elected by
voters under the system of proportional representation, meaning that
only political parties would be able to field candidates. A party
which wins more than 40 percent of the vote would see the individual
topping its list of candidates automatically become mayor, he said.
The bill, if passed, will also lead to the dissolution of the elected
administrations of Yerevan’s ten administrative districts currently
run by elected mayors and "councils of elders." It is the Yerevan
mayor who will appoint district chiefs.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
