YEREVAN. Sept 18 (Interfax) - The Civil Contract party of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has failed to win elections of the Yerevan city council, which appoints the Yerevan mayor.
According to the Armenian Central Elections Commission, Civil Contract gained 32.57% of the vote. Former Armenian Deputy Prime Minister, Yerevan Deputy Mayor Tigran Avinyan is the party's mayoral candidate.
By law, the party that gains 50% of the vote can appoint the Yerevan mayor on its own.
The following parties have also won seats at the city council: National Progress (18.89%, actor and former mayor Hayk Marutyan as the mayoral candidate), Mother Armenia (15.43%, former opposition MP Andranik Tevanyan as the mayoral candidate), pro-governmental Republic (11.32%, Artak Zeynalyan as the mayoral candidate), and Public Voice founded by former police officer, popular video blogger Vardan Ghukasyan (9.68%, Artak Galstyan as the mayoral candidate).
The council members will have to elect the mayor by a coalition within two weeks, otherwise there will be a new vote.
The Council has 65 members, and the mayor is elected for five years.
The election turnout was 28.46%, which is the lowest percentage in the entire history of Yerevan mayoral elections. Only 234,553 out of 824,250 eligible voters cast their ballots.