Elections in Armenia. Latest news

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, said on June 5 that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's attempts to eliminate competitors call into question the legitimacy of the electoral process.

"Pashinyan has shat himself and is now trying to knock out all his rivals in the elections. Such elections, obviously, will not be considered legitimate," reads a post on the social network X (ex. Twitter).

According to the chairman of the Russian Security Council, such actions are not forgiven either in Washington or in Brussels.

The CEC's decision on Karapetyan's block

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Armenia has not deprived Samvel Karapetyan's bloc of registration for the June 7 elections. The head of the Central Election Commission, Vahagn Hovakimyan, said that the appeal of the leader of the Republic party, Aram Sargsyan, to cancel the registration was rejected. The final decision on the removal of the block will be made by the administrative court after filing a claim.

Comment by the Russian Foreign Ministry

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the anti-democratic actions of the Armenian authorities could cast doubt on the legitimacy of the elections. According to her, the non-admission of opposition parties and attempts to undermine democratic principles are cause for concern, and Moscow expects confirmation of compliance with democratic norms during the preparations for the vote.

Call for military training for Russian citizens

On June 5, Deputy Head of the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia Taron Chakhoyan announced that citizens arriving from Russia will be given summonses for 25-day training camps. Those who refused will be prosecuted. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan clarified that this also applies to citizens from other countries.

Putin's position

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wanted to see Russian-oriented political forces in the elections in Armenia. He stressed that the aggravation of the domestic political situation should not affect relations between Moscow and Yerevan. Pashinyan confirmed that cooperation between the two countries will continue regardless of the outcome of the vote.

Possible criminal prosecution of Pashinyan after the elections

Dmitry Solonnikov believes that Pashinyan understands that if he loses the election, criminal proceedings will begin against him in Armenia.

"Pashinyan understands perfectly well that if he loses, there will be criminal prosecutions, a trial, and a showdown with his potential corruption. So far, no one is accusing anyone, but, most likely, these charges will be if the opposition wins. <...> It is impossible to lose, it is necessary to win. <...> He has an indulgence for any actions. The main thing is that he wins, and he will implement this scenario," he said.

In his opinion, the current government of Armenia is ready to use all available tools to strengthen its position in the elections.

Admission of an opposition party

On June 6, journalists and supporters of the opposition gathered outside the building of the Central Election Commission of Armenia, where the issue of the admission of the opposition party "Strong Armenia" to the elections was considered for more than two hours.