Commenting on the recent local elections in Vanadzor, Karen Toumanyan, an independent candidate who ran for mayor and lost, told Hetq that the election was rife with violations.

Avoiding any specific appraisal of election day itself, Toumanyan told Hetq that the administrative resources of the government were fully at the disposal of current mayor Samvel Darbinyan.

Darbinyan is a member of the ruling Republican Party and won his bid for re-election.

Toumanyan said that despite assurances from Lori Regional Administrator Artour Nalbandyan that municipal premises (schools and health centers) would be made available for public meetings, many directors of such institutions did not grant him permission to use their premises.

Toumanyan argues that Nalbandyan’s promise was never put into practice.