Local residents have blocked the Martuni-Vardenis motorway of Armenia.

They demand that Aharon Khachatryan, elected mayor of the enlarged community of Vardenis, be given the key and seal of the mayor's office.

The protesters announced that the aforesaid motorway shall be open only for ambulances and military vehicles.

As reported earlier, in the December 5 local elections in Vardenis, the country’s ruling Civil Contract Party (CCP) had won 13 seats, the opposition Aharon Khachatryan bloc—10 seats, and the opposition United Vardenis—4 seats in the town council. Then, the opposition forces had signed a memorandum to form a coalition, and therefore the number of their town council seats was enough to elect their mayoral candidate.

After that, former mayor of Vardenis Aram Harutyunyan, who topped the electoral list of United Vardenis, was charged in a criminal case against him and was arrested.

Nevertheless, the opposition members of the Vardenis Council of Elders had managed to convene a session and elect Aharon Khachatryan mayor. The CCP members of this council, however, had not attended this session.

Then the CCP had appealed to the Administrative Court with a request to cancel the results of the first session of the newly elected Council of Elders of Vardenis.

The court had partially granted this request and cancelled the results of the mayoral election.

This means that the Vardenis Council of Elders will have to re-elect a mayor in a month.