The newly elected Council of Elders of Gyumri, Armenia, on Monday elected—with 24 votes in favor and 8 against—Vardges Samsonyan, who was nominated by the Balasanyan Bloc, as mayor of the city.

The former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), the Zartonk (Awakening) National Christian Party, and the Country to Live party voted against his candidacy, whereas solely the ruling Civil Contract Party (CCP) and the "Balasanyan Bloc" voted for him.

Only Samsonyan was nominated to this office.

As a result of the local elections on October 17, the Gyumri city government was formed by the Balasanyan Bloc, the CCP, the RPA, the Zartonk, and the Country to Live parties.

But none of these political forces could form the city’s government on their own, as the number of votes they received in the elections were not enough to get more than half of the 33 seats in the Gyumri municipal council to single-handedly administer over the city. This means that the city government in Gyumri had to be formed on the basis of a coalition.

Subsequently, the Balasanyan Bloc and the CCP had signed a memorandum according to which, the Balasanyan Bloc’s candidate, Vardges Samsonyan, was to become the new mayor of Gyumri, while the deputy mayors were be from the CCP.