Opposition Overcomes Major Rift as Grigoryan Backs Rival Ghukasiyn for Gyumri Mayor

GYUMRI — The leader of a political group that placed third in Gyumri’s March 30 municipal election has reluctantly agreed to support a bitter rival—another opposition candidate—for mayor of Armenia’s second-largest city.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won the most votes (36.8 percent) but fell well short of an outright majority in the city council, which is tasked with appointing the mayor. According to official results, Civil Contract will hold only 14 seats in the 33-member council. The remaining 19 seats will be controlled by four opposition groups.

Vartan Ghukasiyn, a former mayor of Gyumri who ran under the Armenian Communist Party (HKK) ticket, staked a claim to the mayor’s post after the HKK placed second with 20.7 percent of the vote. He quickly secured the backing of two other opposition groups led by TV producer Ruben Mkhitarian and businessman Karen Simonian, who received 7.9 percent and 6.2 percent of the vote, respectively.

The fourth opposition contender, the Our City bloc led by Gyumri-based opposition lawmaker Martun Grigoryan, won nearly 16 percent. Grigoryan and Ghukasiyn—as well as their extended families—have long been at odds. As a result, Grigoryan was initially hesitant to provide the decisive support needed to elect the former mayor, despite pressure from Yerevan-based opposition figures critical of the government.

In what he called his “most difficult” political decision to date, Grigoryan announced on Friday that Our City’s council members will vote for Ghukasiyn to become mayor.

“I apologize to all my voters, relatives, friends, and supporters, but I say with confidence that I am subordinating my personal issues and views to the interests and security of my country, statehood, Gyumri, and the people of Gyumri. I am taking this step at the demand of the people,” Grigoryan said in a statement. He emphasized that his top priority is to remove Pashinyan’s party from the city’s administration.

Grigoryan also made clear that he views Ghukasiyn as “the most vulnerable” opposition candidate due to ongoing criminal cases against him. He warned that the controversial ex-mayor could be arrested soon—similar to another opposition candidate who won the 2021 municipal election in Vanadzor, Armenia’s third-largest city, before being detained.

Grigoryan argued that it would have made more sense to choose Mkhitaryan or Simonyan as mayor. He criticized them for hastily backing Ghukasiyn.

Mkhitaryan, who has a large social media following, quickly welcomed Grigoryan’s statement. “The coveted victories lie ahead,” he wrote, hinting at potential regime change in Yerevan.

Ghukasiyn, who served as mayor from 1999 to 2012, has not yet commented. During the campaign, he said he is not afraid of being arrested.