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Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Wins Plurality in Armenia but Falls Short of 50%

Reserved minority mandates are expected to boost the governing party’s seat count and deepen the standoff between the government and opposition.

Overview

  • Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission published final results showing Civil Contract received about 49.745% of the vote while Strong Armenia and the Armenia alliance trailed behind.
  • Under Armenian law four parliamentary seats are reserved for national minorities and reporting indicates three of those seats are likely to go to Civil Contract, a change that will improve the party’s effective majority.
  • Opposition parties rejected the results as fraudulent and staged protests outside the Central Electoral Commission while police secured the commission building and nearby streets.
  • Authorities have accused opposition figures of handing out bribes to voters, and security actions included travel restrictions that prevented former president Robert Kocharyan from leaving the country.
  • The vote unfolded against a recent breakdown in ArmeniaRussia ties and the result will shape whether Yerevan tilts further toward the European Union or faces pressure from parties that favor closer relations with Moscow; legal challenges and continued street protests are likely next steps.