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Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan believes the initiators of the vote of no-confidence in him are trying to privatize the “revolution” and present the ruling Civil Contract party as the “sole bearer and heir” of the revolutionary values.

Speaking at a special meeting of the Yerevan City Council on Wednesday, Marutyan said the impeachment process against him is based on the claims he quitted the Civil Contract party and the My Step faction of the municipal council. He stated that he has left the party, but not the faction.

"I remain a member of the My Step faction; those claims are false. By referring to the Civil Contract party in their arguments, these people are trying to privatize the revolution and to make Civil Contract the sole bearer and heir of the values of revolution, which is unacceptable for me and thousands of others, who are non-partisan like me and who carried out a revolution to build a better Armenia,” he said.

“Moreover, Civil Contract members went even further, saying that those who are not from the party are against the revolution and support counter-revolutionary forces. This is unacceptable and offensive," Marutyan stated.

Also, he pointed to the lack of strong grounds for the motion of no-confidence in him.

"For instance, it could be related to an embezzlement of large funds from the budget or a horrific crime. As it became clear from the speeches, there's nothing like that," Marutyan said.

He noted that the reason for the impeachment process cited by the My Step members is quite different. "As the initiators said, since I left the Civil Contract party, I have to leave this position as well,” he said.