Armenian pro-Russian opposition demands overturning of parliamentary election results
Armenia – On Friday, Armenian pro-Russian opposition groups demanded the annulment of the results from the June 7 parliamentary election, submitting a petition to the National Electoral Commission. The June 7 vote was won by the ruling pro-Western "Civil Contract" party. Vardanyan, a member of the "Bright Armenia" party, said the petition was submitted by their party. Meanwhile, opposition groups have condemned irregularities during the voting process.
The "Bright Armenia" party received 23.2% of the votes, significantly trailing behind the 49.8% secured by the "Civil Contract" party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Since coming to power in 2018, the "Civil Contract" party has strengthened ties with Western countries. The pro-Russian "Bright Armenia" party emphasized Armenia’s traditional close relationship with Russia during the campaign, noting that Armenia's energy supply relies heavily on Russia.
The Central Election Commission of Armenia is expected to announce the final results on Sunday. According to Armenian media reports, the Central Election Commission declared the results from two polling stations invalid on Thursday, citing the presence of large numbers of military personnel inside the polling stations after voting had ended.
Leaders of the opposition party "Prosperous Armenia" stated these incidents reduced their vote share, preventing them from reaching the 4% threshold required to enter parliament. The opposition also complained about a wave of arrests prior to the election, during which their parliamentary candidates and supporters were detained.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1867814603247752/
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