Election to Vaharshapat Council scheduled for Nov 16

ArmInfo.  The elections to the Council of Elders of the enlarged community of Vagharshapat will be held on November 16, 2025.

As ArmInfo was informed by the press service of the Central Electoral  Commission (CEC) of Armenia, in order to obtain an account for  participation in these elections, political parties and blocs must  submit an application to the CEC electronically by October 12, 18:00.  "The registration deadline is the period set for submitting documents  to the election commission for the compilation of electoral lists,  after which the possibility of registering using an account is  suspended," the CEC summarized.

On May 13, the Corruption Prevention Commission initiated proceedings  on an administrative offense against former Vagharshapat Mayor Diana  Gasparyan, and on May 15 she announced her resignation.  According to  her, this decision was made due to the need to "make a choice between  family and work." However, the Anti-Corruption Committee reported  that "an investigation is underway into criminal proceedings related  to abuse of office, as well as providing false information or  concealing data in a declaration." The department did not comment on  this information in any way.

In early February of this year, the Armenian service of Radio Liberty  reported that Gasparyan had signed a contract with individual  entrepreneur Ashot Mirzoyan, her father-in-law, to purchase  compressed natural gas for the city administration on January 27 for  13.6 million drams. According to the Armenian Law on Civil Service,  if an official's actions or decisions may lead to a conflict of  interest, he or she is obliged to submit a written notification to  his or her superior. However, community leaders do not have a  superior body, so in such cases they must notify the Commission for  the Prevention of Corruption. However, the Commission for the  Prevention of Corruption told Azatutyun that no notifications about a  conflict of interest were received from the mayor of Vagharshapat,  and Diana Gasparyan did not refuse to participate in the  decision-making process and signed a contract with her father-in-law.  However, this is not the only scandal surrounding the Gasparyan  family. Diana Gasparyan's husband, Aramayis Mirzoyan, is a member of  the Civil Contract faction in the Vagharshapat Council of Elders.  Gasparyan's husband's family began building residential buildings in  Echmiadzin without permission. In addition, 1.2 hectares of land were  transferred to the mayor's family under dubious circumstances. Araks  Community Council member from the Civil Contract party, Shahen  Shahinyan, first bought the land at an auction held by the  Vagharshapat Municipality and then transferred it to the Nare Plus  company, which belongs to Gasparyan's mother-in- law. It was on the  basis of these revelations that the Anti-Corruption Committee of  Armenia opened a criminal case and Diana Gasparyan was interrogated.