Karapetyan Says "Strong Armenia" Party's Large Number of Supporters Detained
Samvel Karapetyan, chairman of the opposition party Strong Armenia in Armenia and a Russian-Armenian businessman and president of the Tahir Group, said that over the past two days, law enforcement authorities in Armenia have detained approximately 100 supporters of his party.
After Sunday's parliamentary election voting in Armenia, Karapetyan told reporters: "Our supporters are being arrested one after another. About 100 people have been taken away from yesterday to today. However, the situation is not serious."
Karapetyan stated that he voted in order to facilitate the formation of a legitimate government.
"Establishing a legitimate government is crucial; only then can the country independently decide its future, free from external manipulation, while also avoiding a return to turmoil."
He expressed confidence that his party would win the election and said that if victorious, Armenia would pursue a balanced foreign policy.
"We aim to maintain good relations with Russia, the United States, and the European Union—these countries should all contribute to Armenia’s development, and our diplomatic relations will naturally remain balanced."
Armenia held its new parliamentary elections on June 7, with the results determining the next prime minister.
This marks the first regular parliamentary election in the country in nine years; the previous two elections in 2018 and 2021 were both early elections. A total of 18 political forces participated in this election. There is no minimum voter turnout threshold set by law—regardless of the number of voters, the election is considered valid. The election uses a proportional representation system.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867326449756160/
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