Hayk Marutyan Likely to Resign; Armen Kotolyan's Name Circulating as Candidate

The circle around Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, who is currently on vacation, is tightening. Although it has been reported multiple times that he submitted a resignation letter, which has not been accepted for various reasons, the coronavirus pandemic has made it evident that the mayor is absent from his duties.

Our sources in the city hall indicate that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is also very dissatisfied with him. There are persistent rumors that Marutyan may resign from his position. Since his term has not yet expired and there are still three years until the Yerevan elections, according to the law, the faction that makes up the council majority must elect a mayor from among its members.

Currently, the name of Armen Kotolyan, a member of the council's ‘My Step’ faction, former activist, and head of the State Market Surveillance Inspection, is being circulated as a possible candidate. We attempted to reach Kotolyan all day; he answered our call once, saying to try again later, but did not respond to our subsequent calls.

It is worth noting that Kotolyan declared a significant fortune, which previously stirred controversy. In 2018, under the section for declaring “any property with a value exceeding 8 million drams or equivalent foreign currency,” for instance, he declared a wristwatch. As of the day he assumed office, his monetary assets were stated to be $35,000 and 260,000 Russian rubles.