Key facts
- Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party won 49.8% of the vote in parliamentary elections.
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party secured a parliamentary majority but not the two-thirds needed for constitutional referendums.
- International election monitors alleged significant Russian interference and pressure during the election campaign.
- Russia accused the West of interfering and joined Armenian opposition groups in alleging election violations.
- The election was the first since Armenia's 2023 military defeat by Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Opposition groups criticized Pashinyan's early victory claim, with some alleging vote rigging.
Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, won 49.8% of the vote in parliamentary elections, securing a majority but falling short of the two-thirds needed for constitutional referendums. The Central Election Commission confirmed the results based on a nearly 59% voter turnout.
International election monitors, including observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, alleged significant Russian interference and pressure aimed at altering the election outcome. Edita Estrella of the PACE mission stated Russia exercised "unprecedented pressure, using public threats and trade measures." Conversely, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the West of interfering and highlighted demand for strong Russian-Armenian ties.
The vote was the first parliamentary election since Armenia's 2023 military defeat by Azerbaijan, which resulted in Azerbaijan retaking Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan's victory is expected to bolster his efforts to diversify Armenia's foreign relations towards Western countries and pursue a peace deal with Azerbaijan and normalized relations with Turkey.
Opposition groups, including the Strong Armenia alliance (23.2%) and the Armenia Alliance (9.9%), performed better than anticipated, collectively winning 31% of the vote and are set to enter parliament. Prosperous Armenia failed to meet the 4% threshold. Some opposition figures, like Samvel Karapetyan, founder of Strong Armenia, criticized Pashinyan's early victory claim, accusing his government of pressuring the CEC and usurping power. The Armenia Alliance, led by former president Robert Kocharyan, also alleged usurpation of power.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Pashinyan, expressing support for Armenia's democratic path and pursuit of peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.