First of all, I would like to thank Hayk Marutyan for the services he has provided to Yerevan during these three years. Of course, many results have been registered during these years. Armen Galjyan, a member of the ruling majority "My Step" Faction, stated this at Wednesday’s special sitting of the Yerevan Council of Elders—and presenting the matter of expressing no confidence in Mayor Hayk Marutyan.

"It is a difficult situation, we [i.e. the aforesaid faction] came to this decision with difficulty, but I believe this was a necessity in the current situation because there a real crisis had arisen between the institutions of the Council of Elders and the mayor. I really want us not to have personalized speeches today because there is no dislike for the person of Hayk Marutyan.

Although the press notes that Hayk Marutyan's departure from the ‘My Step’ was the reason for this process, I want to say that it became just an occasion for this crisis. We have been working for a year and that work is difficult. The most important thing here is that the current situation will not enable  to work and serve Yerevan effectively for the next two years.

Now the issue of effective management of the city is being resolved. I am confident that we, under the mayorship of [serving Deputy Mayor] Hrachya Sargsyan, will continue the reforms that you have started, Mr. Marutyan," he said.

Galjyan added that they are often asked why they do not go to snap elections in this regard.

“There are two ways to go to snap elections. The first is that the mayor resigns and the Council of Elders does not elect a new mayor. The second is that the Council of Elders does not convene a session for three months and [as a result,] the Council of Elders is dissolved. This option will be to the detriment of the city," he said.

The Yerevan municipal council has convened a special session Wednesday—and with only one matter on the agenda: the draft decision of the Yerevan Council of Elders on expressing no confidence in Mayor Hayk Marutyan. Also, this draft proposes to elect Deputy Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan as the Mayor of Yerevan. The session is being chaired by Hayk Marutyan.

As reported earlier, the ruling majority "My Step" Faction of the Yerevan Council of Elders had collected signatures to express no confidence in Marutyan. This initiative is supported also by the members of the opposition “Prosperous Armenia” Faction and Ani Khachatryan from the opposition “Luys” Faction.

But several members of the "My Step" Faction have opposed this initiative and resigned from the Yerevan city council.