Gayaneh Sargsyan

Residents of Antaramout, a small village in Armenia’s northern Lori Province, go to the polls next Sunday to elect a mayor.

There are two candidates on the ballot: 60 year-old Sandro Gevorgyan and 44 year-old Arayik Gevorgyan. The two are cousins.

Current Mayor Martoun Hambardzoumyan says he’s not running for reelection for health reasons. He says he has diabetes.

Sandro Gevorgyan, who has run in the last two mayoral elections in Antaramout, and lost, is confident of a win this time.

Sandro claims that he has the required skills to resolve the community’s problems and that residents trust him.

“They want that the village center be spruced up a bit. We’ve done so. The water issue has been resolved. A few monuments have been installed. You probably saw them, right? There’s the issue of the road. Villagers want a black top. When I add up all the money needed I sometimes joke that even Barack Obama can’t find the money. It’s a heck of a lot,” says Sandro Gevorgyan.

The candidate says that villagers have also raised the issue of inter-communal public transportation.

Sandro Gevorgyan believes that no issue is unsolvable.

While the other candidate, Arayik Gevorgyan, permanently resides in Vanadzor, he claims he’s well aware of the village’s problems and still maintains ties to Antaramout.

“If elected, the first thing I’d do is repair the roads and install street lights in the village. We also need an events hall for celebrations and solemn occasions. We have to transform our old store into such a space,” Arayik Gevorgyan told Hetq.

The candidate has also promised to create new jobs in the village. He says he worked out a deal with the canning plant in Shahoumyan to open a small unit in Antaramout.

In past elections, Arayik, who has worked in the police department for the past 23 years, always supported his cousin Sandro.

“I told Sandro not to run, that he lost in the last two elections, but he refused to back out,” said Arayik Gevorgyan, a member of the Republican Party.

“If elected, things will be great. Come and you’ll see. The roads will be fixed. Not asphalt but driveable nevertheless,” he said.

Mayor Hambardzoumyan, also a Republican Party member, says he’s still sitting on the fence as to which candidate to support.

“Since I haven’t thrown my hat into the race it means that I have abandoned the Republican Party,” Hambardzoumyan said, adding that he will ultimately make his mind up after hearing the candidates’ platforms.