Armenians Vote in Parliamentary Election Focused on Peace Deal and Russia Ties
Voters in Armenia go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament. The contest centers on the government's peace efforts with Azerbaijan and relations with Russia.
al-monitor.comArmenians head to the polls on Sunday in a parliamentary election that will test the government's efforts to reach a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. Polls show Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party leading with up to 32 percent support.
The pro-Russian Strong Armenia party trails in second place with up to 11 percent. Pashinyan has shifted Armenia closer to Western partners since taking office in 2018 and away from its traditional ties with Russia.
GDP per capita has doubled during Pashinyan's time in office. At a rally in Yerevan on Friday, voter Karine Darbinyan said she supported the changes she has seen in the country. Pashinyan has placed the peace agreement signed at the White House last August at the center of his campaign. The deal followed years of conflict that ended with Azerbaijan's 2023 military offensive.
The opposition is led by pro-Russian groups, including Strong Armenia, which was formed last year by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. At a Strong Armenia rally last week, a voter who gave her name only as Gayane said she backed the party to preserve Armenian traditions after the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Critics and rights groups have accused the government of authoritarianism after a series of arrests targeting opposition figures, including Strong Armenia parliamentary candidates. The government has said the arrests target individuals attempting to foment coups.
m. m. Some 2.48 million people are registered to vote in the country of roughly 3 million.
