Artur Vanetsyan regrets Vagharshapat election outcome

Homeland Party leader Artur Vanetsyan has urged supporters to regroup and “change the current picture” after his party finished far behind the ruling Civil Contract party in Sunday’s municipal elections.

The Homeland Party received 1,193 votes, while Civil Contract led the race with 15,298.

In a statement issued on Monday, Vanetsyan thanked voters who backed the party and its mayoral candidate, Khachik Manukyan, but acknowledged deep disappointment with the results.

“But this is also an important and serious lesson that we must learn. We must change our approaches and work style,” he wrote.

Vanetsyan said the party “has neither the right nor the time to be disappointed”, adding that discouragement is “equivalent to betrayal”. He called for mobilizing all resources and re-engaging citizens who have withdrawn from political participation.

“The result achieved by Civil Contract is not truly a victory, but a gift given by those who did not vote,” he said.

Vanetsyan also congratulated the other opposition groups, the Victory Alliance and the Mother Armenia Party, on their electoral gains.