Gyumri residents gave polarized assessments of Pashinyan's election promises.

Speaking at a rally in Gyumri, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan promised to take the country's second city and its development "under his control." Some residents expressed dissatisfaction with the prime minister's previously unfulfilled promises and expressed concerns for the city's fate if the Russian base is withdrawn.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the Civil Contract Party, visited Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city, on May 25 as part of his election campaign. Heightened security measures were noticeable in the city from early morning: police cars were stationed at every traffic light and major intersection, and traffic police officers drove around the city, controlling the flow of traffic.

Despite the rain, the streets, which were in a deplorable state, were being repaired before Pashinyan's arrival. A "Caucasian Knot" correspondent also noted how diligently the city was being cleared of trash, with tractors being brought in for the job. Street cleaners usually remove street trash, but on this day, heavy equipment was doing the heavy lifting.

Pashinyan's meetings with voters, as in other towns, did not go smoothly: the prime minister was met on the streets not only by supporters but also by opponents. While a strawberry seller on one of the central streets thanked Pashinyan for peace, saying that she can now calmly raise four children and is not worried about her sons' future, another city resident complained about the unscrupulousness of the prime minister and his team.

"When they asked us to vote for them, all his associates from Gyumri promised us that the sale of fruits and vegetables would be carried out only in the market, and they would ban street trading. But right before my eyes, these same people, together with Pashinyan, are talking to sellers who stand right on the main street, without any awnings or other conditions, selling vegetables and fruits, without even protecting their products from dust. They have already forgotten about their promises. Now they are promising us peace," Armen Voskanyan told the "Caucasian Knot".

According to him, promises are given by the ruling party only, To get votes, but not to fulfill them. "All he does is make promises. How many years has he been saying that Kocharyan should be jailed? He had eight years, why didn't he do it? Now he's asking for another five years to fool us. He won't get my vote this time," the man said.

A Pashinyan supporter who came to support him asked what hundreds of such vendors would do if street vending was banned. "Let's think about how many people will be left without work if such a ban is imposed. Hundreds! What's the problem when both market vendors and street vendors are working and earning their keep? I don't see anything wrong with it," 70-year-old grandfather Hakob told the "Caucasian Knot."

Gyumri resident Karapet Manukyan doesn't want Pashinyan to be re-elected prime minister. "I'm against Pashinyan and his team because he's pursuing the wrong policy against Russia. I have a store next to a Russian base, and my main clients are Russian military personnel. If he becomes prime minister again, the future of the base will be in serious question. Perhaps the Europeans will force Pashinyan to demand the base's withdrawal. This would be a direct blow to the businesses of many Gyumri residents; we depend heavily on them here. I want a pro-Russian leader, not Pashinyan. Let him promise that the base will remain, and then I'll think about it," he told the "Caucasian Knot."

Despite the expectations of many city residents, Pashinyan has made no statements regarding his government's foreign policy. Instead, he addressed domestic political issues: he spoke about plans to open the borders, hold early municipal elections in Gyumri, and implement major development projects for the city.

“In the 2021 elections, Gyumri gave me 60% of the vote. I will never forget that. But here we didn't have a city government; we weren't 100% responsible for the city. Now I declare that from now on, this city and all projects that will be implemented here will be under my control,” he said from the stage.

“This is what we really wanted to hear. The city seems to be standing still, not developing; you can see the state of the roads for yourself. We believe that after the elections, everything will change, the city authorities will change, and the city will begin to develop,” English teacher Narine told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

According to her, the number of people in the square shows how much support Pashinyan has in Gyumri. "We filled the square and showed that Pashinyan has the strongest support here," she noted proudly.

Gyumri-based political analyst Derenik Malkhasyan, on the other hand, called Pashinyan's rally in Vardanants Square small. "Watching Nikol Pashinyan's election campaign in Gyumri, I can unequivocally say that Gyumri has unequivocally rejected him. Attempts to fill the central square with people from neighboring villages is political masturbation. Nikol Pashinyan is not accepted in all major cities of Armenia," he told the "Caucasian Knot."

Political scientist Gagik Ambaryan also notes that the rally was not as large as Pashinyan's supporters claim. "They learned from the mistakes of the past and assembled the stage on the roadway of the square. They gathered people so that it looked as compact as possible and gave the impression that the square was full. But in reality, there were many people who were specially brought from neighboring villages to create the illusion of widespread support," he told the "Caucasian Knot."