Armenians Vote in Parliamentary Election as Nikol Pashinyan Seeks Re-Election Toward Europe

Armenians voted in a parliamentary election on Sunday that POLITICO.eu said was a high-stakes referendum on the country’s direction after Armenia ceded the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan in 2023.

“Armenia has voted in the parliamentary election, seen as a test of the government’s efforts to forge a peace deal with rival Azerbaijan and loosen ties with Moscow”

Al Jazeera

POLITICO.eu reported that Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party led with 56.7 percent of the vote in early exit polls, while the main opposition Strong Armenia party received 17.5 percent after voting ended.

Al Jazeera

The Guardian framed the vote as a test of whether Armenia cements a shift towards Europe and away from its traditional alliance with Russia, with Moscow, Brussels and Washington all watching the outcome.

BBC said Armenia’s election could decide whether the country continues edging towards the West or returns to its traditional ally Russia, as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks re-election on a promise of European integration.

In the campaign, Pashinyan told reporters outside a polling station Sunday morning, “We will continue along the path of democratic reforms, of course with the support of our European partners.”

Al Jazeera reported that before the vote Armenian investigators issued six arrest warrants for members of the Strong Armenia party, accusing them of buying votes, and it said party chief Samvel Karapetyan was on house arrest on charges of plotting a coup.

POLITICO.eu said Armenian authorities announced on Saturday that more than 40 people had been arrested on suspicion of buying votes, with six arrest warrants for members of Karapetyan’s party, according to state media.

BBC

Karapetyan told reporters at a polling station, “would not change the minds of Armenian voters,” as he was escorted Sunday before returning home.

BBC said Russia piled pressure on the pro-West government, noting that Moscow banned the export of Armenian flowers, mineral water, cognac, fresh vegetables and fruit in the two weeks preceding the election.

BBC also quoted Haykaz Fanyan of the Armenian Centre for Socio-Economic Studies saying, “Moscow is trying to somehow impact the final results of voting on June 7,” and added that Armenia believes it is “very highly correlated with current political processes.”

The Guardian said a strong majority for Pashinyan would give him a mandate to pursue a politically sensitive goal: a peace agreement with Armenia’s longtime enemy Azerbaijan and the normalisation of relations with Turkey.

“Armenia votes as Russia piles pressure on pro-West government Armenians have voted in an election that could decide whether the country continues edging towards the West, or returns to its traditional ally Russia”

BBC

BBC reported that Pashinyan has passed a law to launch the process of joining the EU and accelerated the peace process with neighbouring Azerbaijan via a US-brokered agreement, which won him US President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

DW said a preelection survey commissioned by the Washington-based NGO International Republican Institute (IRI) put Civil Contract in first place with 32% of respondents saying they would vote for the party, while Strong Armenia was supported by 7% in the poll.

DW also said President Vladimir Putin threatened to impose tariffs on Armenia and build new legal obstacles for citizens willing to work in Russia, and it reported that Putin suggested Armenia hold a referendum on whether it wants to join the EU or remain part of the EAEU.

In response to Moscow’s pressure, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged €50m for Armenia and said Moscow was “weaponising economic relations for political pressure,” while the BBC noted that Armenia’s dependence on Russian military equipment has shrunk dramatically.