On the evening of December 8, Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan tendered his resignation amidst a swirl of scandal involving the wounded pride of his wife and the alleged beating of a presidential staffer. Rumour has it that Beglaryan’s wife was offended when Aram Kandayan, with the president’s Department of Protocol, asked that she move to another seat during last week’s Placido Domingo concert in Yerevan. She is said to have taken a seat reserved for the Catholicos, right next to President Sargsyan. An enraged Mrs. Beglaryan told her husband about the incident. Some reports claim that Mr. Beglaryan caught up with Kandayan, whisked him away, and beat him. A spokesman at the president’s office did verify that an "incident" had taken place, but denied reports of any physical violence. Hetq sources say that Yerevan Deputy Mayor Taron Margaryan has the backing of the president to replace Beglaryan.