YEREVAN – In the early hours of Monday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared triumph in the nation’s general elections, as initial tallies indicated that his Civil Contract party secured the top spot with 49.81% of the votes.
Pashinyan and his Civil Contract party are striving for a decisive mandate to chart a fresh geopolitical direction for Armenia, aiming to reduce reliance on Moscow and explore potential membership in the European Union.
His chief rival, Samvel Karapetyan, a billionaire with significant business interests in Russia, is currently under house arrest on allegations of plotting to overthrow the government. Karapetyan, who leads the Strong Armenia bloc that came second with 23.29% of the vote, has dismissed these accusations as politically driven.
The Central Election Commission of Armenia reported that four parties surpassed the 4% electoral threshold, earning seats in the parliament after Sunday’s election, including factions with a pro-Russian stance.
Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party emphasizes strengthening business connections with Russia and has criticized Pashinyan for allegedly instigating conflict with the Kremlin.
Additionally, the parties Armenia and Blossoming Armenia secured parliamentary representation with 9.94% and 4% of the votes, respectively. Voter turnout was recorded at 59.97%, according to the election authorities.
Before the results came in, Pashinyan spoke to journalists at his headquarters, claiming his party won the elections with a record result and would form the government on its own
——
Correction: An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that turnout in Armenia’s general election on Sunday stood at 97%. The correct figure is 59.97%.
