Women in the Newly Elected City Council

 Twelve political forces – eight parties and four alliances – participated in the snap elections to Yerevan Municipal Council held on September 23, 2018.

Out of 848, 346 citizens with the right to vote in the elections 370, 365 citizens participated in the Yerevan City Council snap elections, which makes 43.65 percent of the electorate. Six of the twelve political forces running in the elections failed to pass one percent electoral threshold, three garnered 1-2 percent of the votes.  

Source: CEC website

According to the election results, the composition of the Yerevan City Council includes three forces: My Step Alliance (81.06%), Prosperous Armenia Party (6. 95%), and Luys Alliance (4.99 %).  Although Luys Alliance did not pass the electoral threshold required for elections to Yerevan Municipal Council (the threshold is 8% for alliances and 6% for parties), a legislative provision, according to which, under any circumstance, the composition of  a representative body must include at least three political forces, worked in its favor.  

According to the law on Local Self-Governance in the City of Yerevan, if, as a result of municipal council elections, one of the parties running in the elections garners more than 50% of the seats of municipal council members, the person occupying the first position in the party candidates’ list is, by force of law, considered to be elected Mayor. According to this provision, Haik Marutyan, who headed the list of My Step Alliance, assumed the responsibilities of Mayor.

Only one of the political forces headed by women, Prosperous Armenia, was elected to the Municipal Council. However, Naira Zohrabyan, who headed the electoral list of that party, recused herself and retained her NA deputy mandate.  There were two women candidates out of the six who recused themselves immediately following the elections. Besides Naira Zohrabyan, among those who recused themselves was Nazik Avdalyan from the Prosperous Armenia party list. Later, after having taken their mandates, one more woman, Srbuhi Ghazaryan from My Step faction, recused herself and will continue her work in her capacity as Advisor to the Prime Minister.   

As a result of the Yerevan Municipal Council snap elections, My Step Alliance received 57 mandates, Prosperous Armenia -5, and Luys Alliance -3.  Only 18 or 27.6% of the mandates are held by women. This picture, however, is not final since, according to preliminary data, recusals are still possible within the context of appointment of new heads of administrative districts.

 Fifteen or 26.3% of the mandates received by My Step Alliance are held by women. Among them are  Lusine Badalyan, Izabella Abgaryan, Narine Khachaturyan, Gayane Melkomyan, Gayane Abrahamyan, Lilit Pipoyan, Eva Tovmasyan, Gayane Yeghiazaryan, Sona Ghazaryan, Arusyak Julhakyan, Gayane Vardanyan, Ovsanna Hovsepyan, Satenik Mkrtchyan,  Hasmik Khachunts, Arpenik Marutyan.

One of the five members of the Prosperous Armenia Party faction is a woman, which makes up 20%. The Capital City Council deputy mandate is held by Hripsime Arakelyan.

 Two or 67% of the three members of Luys Alliance are women: Ani Khachatryan and Ani Samsonyan.

For comparison, women candidates in the electoral list of Luys Alliance made up 35.7%, in the electoral list of the Prosperous Armenia Party – 30.7%, and in the list of My Step Alliance – 28.8%.

None of the three factions in the newly elected City Council is headed by women, however, women occupy the positions of Secretaries in the three factions. Two of the four committees of the Municipal Council are headed by women. Satenik Mkrtchyan has been elected Chairperson of the Committee on Culture, Education and Social Issues and Arusyak Julhakyan has been elected Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee.   

Of interest is also the age composition of the Yerevan Municipality, which has become younger. Specifically, dominating among women members are young women in the age group of 25-40.