Garni, a community in Armenia’s Kotayk Province best known for its 1st century A.D. Hellenistic temple, elected its first new mayor in twenty years yesterday.

Aharon Sahakyan (photo), a local businessman, defeated the twenty-year incumbent Ashot Vardanyan by a vote of 2,231 to 1,223.

69% of Garni’s eligible 5,926 voters cast ballots in yesterday’s election.

Yesterday, local elections took place in 373 communities throughout Armenia.

Photo:  www.national.am