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Pashinyan’s Party Wins June Vote but Falls Short of Two‑Thirds Majority

The result stops the ruling party from securing the supermajority required to approve constitution-linked steps tied to a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Azerbaijan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks at his Armenia Ruling Civil Contract party headquarters after parliamentary elections in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
Supporters of Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party leading by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hold up heart signs while gathering in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Friday, June 5, 2026, for the party's final campaign rally ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Overview

  • Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission certified on June 14 that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract won 49.7 percent of the vote and will hold 64 of 105 seats in the new parliament.
  • The pro-Russian Strong Armenia party has formally appealed the results, held protests outside the electoral commission, and contested what it called widespread violations while its leader Samvel Karapetyan remains under house arrest on charges he denies.
  • OSCE observers concluded voters had a genuine choice but documented highly confrontational rhetoric, uneven campaign opportunities, and a window for parties to file complaints after preliminary tallies were posted.
  • In the run-up to the election Moscow banned imports of multiple Armenian agricultural products, a step observers called direct pressure, and the European Commission pledged €50 million in support to offset economic fallout.
  • Because Civil Contract holds 64 seats the government cannot pass the two-thirds majority needed for constitution-linked measures required by parts of the August 2025 U.S.-brokered ArmeniaAzerbaijan agreement, leaving legal challenges and parliamentary bargaining as the next decisive steps.