Armenian Opposition Files Petition to Annul Parliamentary Election Results
Main Developments in the Armenian Parliamentary Election Dispute
Opposition Alliance Challenges Election Outcome
June 12 (Reuters) - A pro-Russian opposition alliance filed a request to Armenia's election commission on Friday to throw out the results of last Sunday's parliamentary election, won by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's governing party.
The petition was submitted by Strong Armenia, party member Aram Vardevanyan told reporters in the capital Yerevan, after opposition groups alleged there had been voting irregularities.
Strong Armenia's Performance and Political Stance
Strong Armenia clinched 23.2% of votes in the June 7 vote, running on a pro-business ticket and a pledge to keep Armenia's traditionally close ties to Russia, from which the South Caucasus country buys much of its energy.
Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party and Election Results
Pashinyan's Civil Contract party, which has bolstered ties with Western countries since coming to power in 2018, won 49.8% of votes to see off the challenge of mostly pro-Russian opposition groups.
Election Commission Actions and Repercussions
Invalidated Polling Stations
The Central Election Commission is expected to publish the final results on Sunday. It declared the tallies at two polling stations invalid on Thursday, citing a concentration of military personnel at voting sites after polls closed, according to Armenian media reports.
Impact on Prosperous Armenia Party
This reduced the vote share for another opposition party, Prosperous Armenia, which put them below the 4% threshold needed to get into parliament, the party's leader said.
Opposition Complaints and Arrests
Opposition groups complained of a spate of arrests before the vote that targeted their parliamentary candidates and supporters.
International Observers and Election Conduct
A group of international electoral observers, while noting the allegations of vote-buying and other electoral violations, said voting had gone smoothly in most polling stations.
(Reporting by Lucy Papachristou, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
