Political emotions are heating up in the Armenian town of Ijevan in the run-up to the May 29 snap election for city council.

Back in 2009, 8 of the 13 council members issues a vote of no confidence regarding Mayor Varuzhan Nersisyan. They stated at the time that they found his management style "unacceptable".

In reaction, the mayor then stripped the dissenting council members of their authority, arguing that they were unjustifiably absent from many of the council meetings.

The council members then took the matter to the courts, but to no avail. Since then, the council has not been able to convene a quorum. The last session was on December 12, 2009.

All 15 spots on the council will be up for grabs on May 29.

27 candidates for the council have already registered with the local electoral commission. Most have no political party affiliation. 5 belong to the ruling Republican Party, 2 to the ARF, and 1 each to Prosperous Armenia and the Rule of Law.

The upcoming city council election is crucial for Mayor Nersisyan who faces an election himself this fall.

If a "loyal" city council isn't elected on the 29th, it is unlikely that Nersisyan will once again throw his hat into the race for the post he has occupied since 1999.