MOSCOW (Realist English). Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issued a comment regarding the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7.
In a statement published on the ministry’s website, it was noted that the vote took place in an atmosphere of “unprecedented pressure on the opposition and interference from the West, primarily the EU.”
Zakharova: Armenian Elections Held Under “Steamroller of Repression”
In Moscow’s assessment, the preliminary results announced by Armenia’s CEC show that the Civil Contract party did not gain a “monopoly on power,” and its support has noticeably decreased compared to the previous electoral cycle.
Zakharova stressed that Armenian society still has a broad demand for developing ties with Russia and for Armenia’s continued participation in Eurasian integration structures (EAEU, CSTO).
The entire election campaign and the voting process itself, according to the diplomat, took place in an atmosphere of “harsh repression” by the Armenian authorities against opposition parties, their activists and supporters. The Armenian Apostolic Church, traditionally deeply respected in the country, also fell under the “steamroller” of persecution.
Zakharova noted that the persecution fell “exclusively on those political forces that advocate for strengthening the alliance with Russia, which is vital for the republic,” and for abandoning the “dead‑end course of joining the European Union.”
Moscow declares its interest in a “strong and genuinely sovereign Armenia,” but warns that unilateral decisions without considering the views of all sections of society will lead the country to “further division and socio‑economic upheavals.”
Russia’s line toward Armenia, Zakharova indicated, will be built taking into account the “real steps of the Armenian leadership.”
Non‑recognition of Results and Accusations of Usurpation of Power
While Armenia’s CEC completed its vote count (Civil Contract — 49.81%, Strong Armenia — 23.29%, Armenia bloc — 9.94%), opposition forces categorically refused to recognize the legitimacy of the elections, citing numerous violations, pressure and falsifications.
Strong Armenia Bloc: “Shameful Results”
Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the opposition Strong Armenia bloc, which advocates rapprochement with Moscow, called the official results “shameful.” According to him, “seeing that their results were shamefully decreasing every minute, they stopped the count, and we don’t even understand what they will present in the morning.”
Karapetyan spoke of “very serious pressure” on the opposition, noting that about 700 people from his party had been arrested for unknown reasons, of whom 80 were sent to prison.
He also pointed to the early declaration of victory: the authorities, in his view, counted about 20% of the ballots and, seeing their numbers fall, rushed to declare themselves winners and stopped the count until morning.
He stressed that the vote was accompanied by unprecedented violations — from ballot stuffing and “carousels” to arrests of opposition activists (more than 200, according to him) and pressure on CIS observers.
Armenia Bloc: “Attempt to Usurp Power”
The bloc of former president Robert Kocharyan also issued harsh criticism. Ishkhan Saghatelyan, head of the Armenia bloc’s campaign staff, called Pashinyan’s early declaration of victory an “attempt to usurp power.” In the opposition’s view, the premature celebration was aimed at putting pressure on the Central Election Commission and seizing power.
Thus, Armenia’s opposition forces have unanimously rejected the election results, accusing the authorities of falsifications, use of administrative resources, and repression against political competitors — which, they argue, calls the legitimacy of the entire electoral process into question.
Prosperous Armenia Demands Recount, Does Not Rule Out Challenging Results
Apart from the two main opposition blocs that categorically rejected the results, the Prosperous Armenia party of billionaire Gagik Tsarukyan — which, according to preliminary CEC data, received 3.996% of the vote, just hundredths of a percentage point below the 4% threshold — also demanded a recount.
Party spokeswoman Iveta Tonoyan announced an intention to appeal to the Central Election Commission (CEC) for a recount, using all mechanisms provided by law. The basis, she said, were “various arithmetic tricks” observed during the vote count on the CEC website.
“Since the evening of the previous day, we have witnessed various arithmetic tricks regarding the votes received by Prosperous Armenia,” Tonoyan was quoted as saying by Russia Today. “During the vote count on the CEC website, one figure was displayed, and with each subsequent update another number appeared, and it was decreasing.”
The party spokeswoman stressed that they are currently specifying the list of polling stations for which a recount will be demanded and are discussing grounds for appealing individual decisions and actions of election commissions. Moreover, she said, the party does not rule out the possibility of challenging the election results in full, given the “enormous scale of violations we witnessed throughout the electoral process.”
Armenian CEC Chairman Vaagn Hovakimyan earlier said that the final parliamentary makeup could change precisely as a result of a recount. Under the law, recount requests may be submitted until 11:00 a.m. on June 9.
The recount procedure will be closely watched, as even a small change in the final tally could be decisive for a party that is literally one step away from entering parliament.
