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The deputy chairman of the Armenian National Congress party, Levon Zurabyan, has denounced the ruling Civil Contract party’s efforts to oust the opposition mayor of Alaverdi, a major community in Armenia’s Lori Province.

The Alaverdi municipal council met on Tuesday to remove incumbent Mayor Arkady Tamazyan through a no-confidence vote initiated by its pro-government members.

Tamazyan, who represents the opposition Aprelu Yerkir party, was installed as mayor after his party teamed up with Armenian National Congress following local elections in September 2022.

The mayor's supporters gathered outside the Alaverdi municipality to protest against his ouster. Large police forces were deployed outside the building.

“[Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan is always boasting about democratic values and free elections, which turns out to be a fiction,” said Zurabyanm, who came to Alaverdi to negotiate with police officers.

“The incumbent authorities don’t tolerate any local government formed by the opposition. We also would like to know whether the Constitution and laws are applied here. We have come here to try to put this process on a democratic and legal track. That’s why I am negotiating with the police," he said.