Manukyan to sue Mayor?
The Public Council might dispute the right to property of the owners of the stands that were demolished on Abovyan Street and are being placed at Mashtots Park in court. This is what President of the Public Council Vazgen Manukyan announced during a discussion on the issue.
During the discussion, Chief Architect of Yerevan Narek Sargsyan reaffirmed Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan's statement according to which Yerevan Municipality was placing stands at Mashtots Park by respecting the right of stand owners to their properties.
However, he also informed that none of the owners of the stands on Abovyan Street had any right to the stands placed at Mashtots Park. "Those stands belong to Yerevan Municipality and are simply granted to them for a couple of years," he mentioned.
The members of the Public Council asked whether the decision on providing areas on the sidewalk of Abovyan Street by the right to property was legitimate or not for the mayor to defend that right at the price of green areas.
"It was, if not illegitimate, then at least an incorrect decision," said member of the Public Council, former Prime Minister Khosrov Harutyunyan.
In his turn, President of the Public Council Vazgen Manukyan asked about those stand owners and wanted to know why the municipality was so attentive toward their rights.
"Perhaps they have provided great services to the homeland. In that case, perhaps we should all praise them," said Manukyan.
In response to all this, Head of the Legal Department at Yerevan Municipality Zaven Arakelyan said the municipality couldn't do anything as long as the right of the stand owners to property wasn't disputed.
Vazgen Manukyan expressed certainty that "any normal court would take the right to property away from those people".
"If the municipality doesn't sue them, our Council's lawyers will appeal to the court and will call the youth demonstrators as well," said Vazgen Manukyan.
The Public Council's discussions on the stands in Mashtots Park were being held without the participation of the demonstrators defending their interests, but Karine Danielyan was present.
Danielyan mentioned that people don't trust the municipality simply because the authorities didn't fulfill their pledge of stopping construction.
The Chief Architect of Yerevan was compelled to accept this fact. "But we are trying to interfere. It was our flaw, and I accept it," said the Chief Architect.
