Armenians voted in parliamentary elections on Sunday, which is likely to boost the country’s pro-EU trajectory, despite Russian anger over the government’s stance.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared victory on Monday.
Preliminary results showed Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party leading with 52.5%, while Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia coalition was trailing with 23.2%, according to the Central Election Commission, which cited 23.5% of the electoral region reporting.
Former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Coalition was in third place with almost 9%, followed by the Prosperous Armenia Party, which passed the electoral threshold with 4.6%. The commission said turnout was 59%.
At a press conference early Monday morning, Pashinyan said his Civil Contract party had won, calling it a “historic victory.”
Official preliminary results are due on Monday.
What do we know about the competing parties?
Prime Minister Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract Party had its closest rival in the election, the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party, which is also being seen as a referendum on Pashinyan’s peace efforts with Azerbaijan.
Polls have shown that Pashinyan and his party are in the lead with 32% support, while Strong Armenia has only 11% support.
This appears to indicate some support for Pashinyan’s efforts to move Armenia closer to the West since coming to power in 2018, although he will not be able to rule alone if early results are confirmed.
In contrast, Strong Armenia, formed last year by Russian-Armenian billionaire Karapetyan, wants Armenia to remain close to Russia, a major trading partner and energy supplier.
Police searched Strong Armenia’s offices in the city of Gyumri and made several arrests, it was reported by the media.
What is Russia’s stance on Armenia’s elections?
Yerevan’s rapprochement with Europe has raised eyebrows over Armenia’s former Soviet master, Russia.
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a veiled threat about the negative economic impact of moving away from Moscow if Armenia continues on its path.
In the weeks before the election, Russia has made such theoretical economic threats more concrete by imposing new sanctions on Armenian produce, including flowers and vegetables.
Putin also suggested that Armenia may face the same crisis as Ukraine, saying that Kiev’s problems “began with its efforts to move towards joining the European Union.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a case of “Moscow weaponizing economic relations for political pressure”, which the EU has taken action against.
He promised €50 million ($57.6 million) to the country as well as more comfortable trade terms for goods targeted by Moscow.
Pashinyan’s peace deal with Azerbaijan is in focus
Despite still maintaining the lead in pre-election surveys, Pashinyan has come under attack from the opposition and some sectors of the public, who have accused him of capitulating to Azerbaijan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a long-running conflict since the 1980s, primarily over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region inhabited by ethnic Armenians that Azerbaijan took back in the 2023 war.
Critics say Pashinyan made too many concessions to Azerbaijan in the US-brokered deal signed last August.
He has also been accused of authoritarianism, with many of his opponents landing behind bars in recent years.
The government has defended its actions, saying that those imprisoned were attempting a coup.
On Sunday, police said they had detained more than 10 people on suspicion of vote buying, while three members of the local election commission were also detained overnight.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
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