YEREVAN. – Six political parties and one bloc ran in the recent Armenian capital city Yerevan Council of Elders election, and they had paid 3 million drams (approx. $7,300), each, as deposit, Zhoghovurd daily reports. 

“Pursuant to the Armenian Electoral Code, in the case of being defeated [in the elections], the parties cannot receive [back] the paid amounts. [As a result,] the amounts paid by the ANC [i.e., the Armenian National Congress Party], RLP [i.e., Orinats Yerkir Party], ARF [Dashnaktsutyun Party], and Arakelutyun [Party]—which are around 12 million drams [approx. $29,220]—will ‘go’ to the Armenian [state] budget,” Zhoghovurd writes.     

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on Monday issued the preliminary results of the May 5 voting. In line with this outcome, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, the non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party, and the opposition Heritage Party-led “Barev, [Hello] Yerevan” bloc will comprise the new Council of Elders of Yerevan.

Opposition Armenian National Congress Party, opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, coalition government’s Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) Party, and Arakelutyun (Mission) Party, on the other hand, did not pass the 6-percent threshold for the parties to become members in the Yerevan Council of Elders.  

The CEC will issue the final election results on May 12.