Yerevan Council of Elders to elect new mayor on Dec. 17

Yerevan will have new mayor before 2011, Yerevan Council of Elders has decided.

In a special session convened today, the Council scheduled the election for December 17.

Headed by acting mayor Taron Margaryan, the session was attended by 47 members of the Council.

All the members present voted in favor of Margaryan's proposal.

The election will take place at 11 am.

It comes after former Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan resigned after he allegedly physically assaulted Aram Kandayan - an employee of the Department of Protocol at the presidential administration.

Kandayan had reportedly asked Beglaryan's wife at a concert last week in Yerevan to move to another chair so that not to be seated immediately next to the president - something mandatory by the protocol for such events.