The mayor-elect of Yerevan, Tigran Avinyan, took the respective oath of office on Friday, October 13, with his hand on the cuneiform inscription and the Constitution of Armenia.
The cuneiform record—dated 782 BC—of the foundation of Erebuni-Yerevan was brought to Yerevan Municipality especially for this ceremony.
After swearing in, Avinyan signed under his oath, which will be handed to the Yerevan History Museum.
The mayoral chain, which is a symbol of Yerevan, was presented to the new mayor by mayor’s advisor Kamo Areyan.
Then the anthem of Yerevan was played.
Tigran Avinyan was nominated as the only candidate for Mayor of Yerevan at Tuesday’s first meeting of the new Council of Elders (Yerevan City Council), and he was elected with 32 votes in favor and 5 against.
Avinyan was able to get elected by the Council of Elders, despite the fact that the number of votes he received, 32, do not constitute a majority of the 65 members elected to the Council. He was able to get elected only because the Councilmembers affiliated with Voice of the People party, led by Vardan Ghukasyan from outside the country, decided to participate in the elections and by doing so, contributed to the meeting having quorum. Thus, despite voting against Avinyan, they helped secure his election. Had they decided to boycott the vote, like the other opposition Councilmembers, Avinyan would not have been elected and a new vote would have been scheduled.
