Misak Balasanian was recalled through a presidential decree initiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. It came less than four months after Balasanian, who had no prior diplomatic experience, was appointed as ambassador.
The appointment was widely linked with the agreement reached following the October 2021 municipal elections in Gyumri. Armenia’s second largest city was run until then by Balasanian’s father Samvel, a local wealthy businessman.
Although Samvel Balasanian decided not to seek another term in office, a newly created bloc bearing his name participated in the elections and garnered most votes. But it fell short of a majority in the local council electing the mayor.
The Balasanian Bloc teamed up with Civil Contract, to install a relative of Balasanian, Vardges Samsonian, as new mayor of Gyumri. In return, two Civil Contract figures became deputy mayors. Three dozen other members of Pashinian’s party were also given posts in the municipal administration.
All those officials stepped down after Civil Contract unexpectedly announced on December 6 the end of the power-sharing arrangement. It said it does not want to be part of “shady governance,” implying that Balasanian Sr. is continuing to pull the strings in Gyumri.
Commentators suggested that the ruling party will try to gain control of the municipality despite holding only 11 seats in the 33-member city council. The Balasanian Bloc indicated that it will not give up the post of mayor.
In another sign of mounting tensions between the two political forces, council members representing Civil Contract blocked on Friday the passage of the city’s 2024 budget drafted by Mayor Samsonian. The latter rebuked them as well as councilors from two opposition groups who also voted against the budget.
Samsonian secured the insufficient backing of the third opposition force represented in the Gyumri legislature, the former ruling Republican Party (HHK) to which Balasanian was allied before Pashinian’s rise to power. Knarik Harutiunian, who leads the Civil Contract group in the council, scoffed at this fact.
Incidentally, Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid travelled to Gyumri on November 23 during an official visit to Armenia. Misak Balasanian, who accompanied him on that trip, was sacked less than two months after handing his credentials to Rashid.