Parliamentary elections have ended in Armenia, the results of which largely determine the country’s future foreign policy course. The campaign took place against the backdrop of deteriorating relations with Russia, Yerevan’s desire for closer cooperation with the European Union and ongoing discussions about a peace settlement with Azerbaijan after the loss of control over Nagorno-Karabakh. writes the BBC.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has already declared victory for his Civil Contract party, saying that it will be able to independently form a new government. Although vote counting is still ongoing, preliminary data from the Central Election Commission confirms the ruling force’s confident leadership.
Voting ended yesterday at 20:00 local time. After the closure of 2,005 polling stations across the country, ballot counting began. To enter parliament, parties needed to get at least 4% of the votes, and for pre-election blocs the threshold ranged from 8% to 10%, depending on the number of members of the association.
The elections were distinguished by high voter turnout. According to the Central Election Commission, by 17:00 turnout reached 48.92%, and by the time polling stations closed – 58.97%, which significantly exceeds the figures for previous parliamentary campaigns.
The increased interest in voting reflects a high level of social tension and uncertainty: 18 parties and blocs took part in the elections, and a significant part of citizens could not make a choice until the very end.
The main issue of the campaign was the choice between Pashinyan’s course towards rapprochement with the West and alternative proposals from the opposition. Among the main rivals of the government were the pro-Russian Strong Armenia alliance, associated with businessman Samvel Karapetyan, and the Armenia bloc of former President Robert Kocharyan, which advocated a tougher policy on security issues and the Karabakh settlement.
Despite the serious blow to the government’s reputation after the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, the elections showed that the level of trust in the opposition remains even lower. Many voters acknowledge that they have complaints about the current government, but do not see a convincing alternative.
The issue of relations with Russia and the West has become one of the key issues on the election agenda. Pashinyan advocates deepening cooperation with Europe and reducing dependence on Moscow, but admits that Armenia is not yet ready to receive EU candidate status.
In the Kremlin, such a course is viewed critically, and recent restrictions on the supply of Armenian products to Russia have become an additional reason for discussions about the consequences of the country’s foreign policy turn.
According to exit polls, the main opposition player in the new parliament may be the Strong Armenia alliance, while Pashinyan’s party maintains a confident advantage and will likely continue to determine the political course of Armenia in the coming years.
