Armenia's Ruling Party Wins Election with Reduced Majority as 3 Pro-Russian Parties Enter Parliament

(CNA, Yerevan, 8th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The results of yesterday's parliamentary election in the West Asian country of Armenia were announced today. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling "Civil Contract" party won with nearly half the votes, but its vote share has declined since the last election, and three major pro-Russian opposition parties performed better than expected.

According to Reuters, this is the first general election in Armenia since its major military defeat in the 2023 conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan. The two countries have been intermittently at war since the late 1980s.

The election was seen as a test of public opinion on how "Civil Contract" has handled the peace agreement with Azerbaijan and its policy of moving away from its traditional supporter, Russia, and closer to the West.

According to results released by Armenia's Central Election Commission after all polling stations were counted, Civil Contract's vote share fell to 49.8% from 54% in the 2021 general election.

The pro-Russian "Strong Armenia" alliance, the "Armenia Alliance," and the "Prosperous Armenia Party" all crossed the threshold to enter parliament, collectively winning 37% of the vote.

Pashinyan stated at a press conference early this morning that Civil Contract had won a "historic victory" and that "the Armenian people have supported regional prosperity and cooperation with their votes."

Pashinyan also expressed hope that Azerbaijan and its key ally Turkey would respond positively to the election results. He pledged to continue balancing the development of relations with both the West and Russia.

However, Pashinyan failed to secure the two-thirds majority in parliament required to hold a constitutional referendum, which is part of the peace agreement with Azerbaijan. A two-thirds majority is also needed for the normalization of relations with Turkey.