Ex-governor of Syunik marz Surik Khachatryan has refuted the information that he exerted pressure on the candidates for mayor of Goris.
On May 24, before the start of the 15th congress of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Khachatryan said that the candidates themselves decided to advance their candidacies or withdraw them. He added that the candidate to run for mayor of Goris has already been determined. "It is our common candidate", he said. In the meantime, Khachatryan stressed that he supports Vachagan Adunts' candidacy, because he considers him a good man. Khachatryan also pointed out that he is on perfect terms with the incumbent Governor of Syunik Vahe Hakobyan who also supports Adunts, according to Khachatryan.
To note, Ara Budaghyan and Tigran Karapetyan have suddenly decided to withdraw from the election. For the moment, the candidates for mayor of Goris are Vachagan Adunts and non-partisan businessman Hrayr Yolyan. According to ArmInfo's sources in the RPA, the tense situation in Goris is explained rather by the need to maintain the counterweight between the Hakobyans' family and the team of ex-Governor of Syunik Surik Khachatryan than by the personality of the future mayor. Thus, the leadership of the country is trying to hinder power monopolization in Syunik by the Hakobyans.