Epress.am News from Armenia
Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan has begun a “genocide of personnel” in city hall, reports Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) after Karapetyan’s newly appointed press spokesperson Shushan Sardaryan told the local daily yesterday that Secretary of Staff of Yerevan Municipality Grigor Melkumyan was recently let go from his post.
According to Sardaryan, Yerevan’s Chief Architect Samvel Danielyan was also sacked yesterday. There are still no new staff appointed to these positions and no news of possible candidates.
Recall that head of the Arabkir administrative district Hamlet Margaryan was also released from his post yesterday. Edik Musheghyan has been named as his successor.
According to Haykakan Jamanak, head of Nor Nork administrative district Melik Gasparyan has also submitted a letter of resignation, and head of Kentron (Center) administrative district Gagik Gyanjumyan and Shengavit chief Sargis Hovhannisyan will also be released from their posts. All of these individuals are considered to be cohorts of former Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan. On the matter of the massive layoffs, Sardaryan, however, told the local daily that “At this time, there is no such thing.”
A number of department heads at the municipality will also be released from their positions, starting from the Education Department to the Communal Services Department, reports Haykakan Jamanak. On this topic, Sardaryan noted that a new structure for Yerevan City Hall’s administration is currently being developed, which will be presented at the Council of the Aldermen and be followed by certain changes.
Recall that on Dec. 17, during his inauguration speech, new Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan had said, “There’s no desire for a massacre, a genocide of personnel, but there are going to be rules of the game and there are going to be demands with regard to managers. Those who meet the demands will stay; those who don’t, will go.”