YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–At its special session on November 5–the Central Electoral Commission looked over newly-elected National Assembly chairman Armenian Khachatrian’s appeal and declared that the posts of the deputies killed last week expired prematurely.
The CEC decided to mandate the five deputies standing next in the Unity bloc’s slate to fill the vacant posts. The candidates are Vardan Mkrtchian–an assistant senior engineer at a state-run electronics company–nominated by the People’s Party of Armenia; Ashot Galoyan–a professor at the Yerevan University–PPA; Manvel Badalian–a professor at the Armenian Agricultural Academy–Republican Party of Armenia; Vardan Bostanjian–head of the Department of Economic Analysis of the National Assembly staff–doctor of economic sciences–RPA; Henrik Grigorian–PhD–rector of Interlingua University–PPA.
Now only 3 of the 131 deputy seats in the National Assembly remain vacant. They represent the 8th–16th and 51st electoral districts. Elections in single-mandate constituencies will be held next May.