While discussions over the globe economic crisis rage, Armenian political forces are preparing for a crucial election scheduled for May 31 to elect the Mayor of Yerevan.

This will mark the first time a mayor has been elected, rather than appointed by the President of Armenia. Based on a new Law on Local Administration of Yerevan City, the mayor will be determined according to City Council elections. If one party participating in the elections gets more than 50 percent of the Council member seats, than the first person mentioned in the list of that party’s candidates is considered to be an elected mayor.

On March 17-22 the parties must submit all the necessary documents to the Central Electoral Commission. The polling stations and electoral centers will be formed till April 16. The pre-election campaign will start on May 2, and it will end on May 29.

Contenders to the post are expected to be current mayor Gagik Beglaryan – appointed last week by President Serzh Sargsyan -- of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and current Minister of Healthcare Harutyun Kuskyan (Prosperous Armenia Party).

The Republican Party also nominated Taron Margaryan (former Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan’s son), Head of Avan Community, for the position of the Deputy Mayor. The Republicans will participate in the elections alone, without coalition counterparts.

This month the oppositional Heritage Party expressed its negative attitude towards the appointment of the Mayor.

“Currently we carefully examine the constitutionality and legitimacy of fact of the current change of the Mayor, and we consider that change to be deliberate, and the authorities, probably, in this way try to show that Beglaryan’s choice was decided beforehand, putting under his disposal the whole administrative resource of the city,” says Larisa Alaverdyan from Heritage Party.

According to Anahit Bakhshyan, Chairwoman of the Heritage Party Executive Board, the appointment of the Mayor was a means to falsify the process of the upcoming elections.

“There is no constitutional violation. The law allows; there is no contradiction. And as for the administrative resource, Beglaryan had that resource long before,” says Razmik Zohrabyan from the Republican Party. “Why do they see contradictions? Whom do they suggest to appoint? Why not our candidate? We are a Presidential country; the President has the right to make decisions individually.”

In response, Heritage said in a public announcement that: “It is necessary to eventually provide legitimacy, freedom, justice, and transparency during the elections of Yerevan’s Mayor and at the pre-election period. It is also necessary to create public trust towards the electoral systems, which is not possible without revealing the authors of the falsifications of the Presidential Elections 2008, and Local Self-Government Bodies, as well as the murderers of the March 1 events, the instigators and those who gave directions.”

The oppositional political forces have not announced the names of their candidates yet. Armen Martirosyan, from Heritage says that they continue the discussions with the Armenian National Congress (ANG) so to submit a united list.

This week Armen Ashotyan, from the Republican Party predicted that the Heritage Party and the ANG will together get 25-30 percent voices.

Hovsep Khurshudyan, from Heritage says that it is necessary to differentiate the real results of the elections from the falsifications, adding that his party coalition would be 60 percent of votes if the election were held now.

In any case, the City Council is expected to be in place by June 7 and will consist of 65 members, elected to four-year terms.