YEREVAN. – Where is the mayor of Yerevan? Why hasn’t he attended these discussions in the National Assembly (NA)? Mane Tandilyan, a member of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament, stated this Wednesday while chairing the joint sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment, and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs.

"He [the mayor] is the sole and only official who is absent for the second time during the budget discussions in the National Assembly. If there is an issue of isolation [related to COVID-19] that I know about from the press, we have the opportunity to organize it remotely. It is necessary to inform in timely fashion. Why isn’t the National Assembly being informed?” Tandilyan said, addressing Deputy Mayor Hayk Sargsyan.

In response, Sargsyan said: "The reason for the mayor's absence has already been published in the press yesterday. I would like to say once again that we are talking about the fact that the mayor is a ‘contact’ person as a result of close contact with two infected employees. As for why I am representing, but not the first deputy mayor, probably because this is a financial report, and the mayor found it expedient for the head of finance to present it.”

And Mane Tandilyan responded: "If the prime minister was able to participate remotely in the conditions of being infected, I believe we could have ensured remote participation for the mayor as well."