CIS chief on Armenia elections: “We will wait to see how this unfolds”

The secretary general of the Commonwealth of Independent States has urged calm and patience after Armenia’s parliamentary elections, saying it remains “to be seen” how the political situation will develop following a vote that strengthened Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party.

The CIS secretary general, Sergey Lebedev, said assurances from the ruling “Civil Contract” party regarding its commitment to cooperation with Russia and the CIS were encouraging, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“We will wait to see how this develops. The assurances from the winners about friendship with Russia are pleasing, as is their commitment to the CIS,” he said.

Lebedev also expressed hope for political stabilisation in Armenia following a tense electoral period. He noted that the CIS observer mission had monitored pre-election developments and polling day conditions, concluding that “overall… everything at the polling stations was normal,” despite a difficult campaign environment.

According to preliminary results from Armenia’s Central Election Commission, three political forces are set to enter parliament: Pashinyan’s “Civil Contract” with 49.825% of the vote, businessman Samvel Karapetyan’s “Strong Armenia” bloc with 23.281%, and former president Robert Kocharyan’s “Armenia” bloc with 9.934%.

However, local observers and opposition groups have reported what they describe as widespread irregularities during the vote, including arrests of opposition figures during the campaign and on election day. The “Prosperous Armenia” party, led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan and appearing to fall below the 4% threshold, has requested a partial recount in several constituencies, citing concerns over the count.

By Aghakazim Guliyev